Business Proposal: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

104 April 6, 2022

by DaebakGrits

All good things must come to an end, but will our archaeopteryx and leading lady have a fairy tale K-drama finale? Grandpa’s keen on separating them, but maybe our heroine can win him over with her charm and love for his grandson.

EPISODES 11-12 WEECAP

As expected, there was more to Hari’s conversation with Grandpa than what was shown last week. The extended scene reveals that she was able to come clean about all the subterfuge, and Grandpa’s resulting cold dismissiveness stems mostly from his concern that her association with Tae-mu will create rumors and sully Tae-mu’s reputation.

Since their relationship was all a lie, he tells her to cut ties with Tae-mu to avoid any potential fallout. Before she can admit that she and Tae-mu are now in a real relationship, though, Sung-hoon calls with word that Tae-mu was involved in an accident.

Hari follows Grandpa to the hospital — in a taxi because he rudely doesn’t give her a ride — where he buckles down on his opinion of her, even after Tae-mu – who’s barely injured from the car wreck, by the way – explains that he’s dating Hari for real. Tae-mu even drops the L-bomb, but Grandpa cannot overlook Hari’s lies and deception.

Tae-mu argues that he was the one who blackmailed her to participate in their fake contract relationship. If Grandpa wants to blame someone, he should point fingers at Tae-mu. And, Tae-mu threatens, if Grandpa won’t accept the woman he loves, then he can kiss his dream of great-grandbabies goodbye. It’s Hari or the highway, Grandpa.

Young-seo picks Hari up from the hospital, but on the way home, it starts to rain. Hari, remembering Tae-mu’s PTSD, asks Young-seo to pull the car over so she can run back to the hospital… in the rain… without an umbrella. So, of course, she’s soaking wet when she rejoins Grandpa and Sung-hoon in the lobby. On the bright side, her obvious concern for Tae-mu and sprint through the downpour softens Grandpa’s glare — slightly.

She finds Tae-mu standing at the window, where he appears calm despite the rain. As he gazes at the skyline and the view of N Seoul Tower, he’s reminded of his childhood, of his father calling the tower a Christmas tree, and of the time his parents came up with a convincing lie that extended the number of years he believed in Santa.

The trip down memory lane inevitably leads to discussing the car accident that took his parents’ lives. Although the tone is serious, the flashbacks are theatrical and stylized in such a way that’s reminiscent of some of the drama’s earlier scenes (e.g. Hari’s interpretation of their fake rainy day meet-cute), which helps blend the tragic subject matter with the light-heartedness of the drama.

Tae-mu — predictably — ends his tale of woe with an admission of guilt, having blamed himself for their deaths. If only he hadn’t insisted that they drive through the torrential rain so that they could spend his birthday at the theme park! But our unconventional heroine comforts him in an equally nontraditional way: by asking him if he blames her for his recent car accident, too.

“Of course not!” he objects, and because he’s so distracted trying to reassure her, he fails to notice her smile. See, she tells him, your parents wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for their accident, just as you don’t want me to feel responsible for yours.

After unintentionally falling asleep at Tae-mu’s bedside, Hari returns to work the next day and finds that she’s at the center of a scandal — all thanks to that fart kazoo Yoo-ra. In typical jealous girl fashion, Yoo-ra believes Hari is the one who lit her dumpster relationship on fire, so she takes to the interwebs and posts a tell-all comment. She exposes both Hari’s seven-year unrequited crush on Min-woo and her secret relationship with Tae-mu, and people jump to the conclusion that Hari is two-timing.

While Grandpa and Sung-hoon keep Tae-mu in the dark about all the rumors so he can recover peacefully, Hari weathers the gossip storm and professional repercussions. Thankfully, her team members have got her back, and Kevin channels his own inner archaeopteryx to shut down a pair of employees who are insulting Hari’s looks and integrity. Hari is overwhelmed by their support and gathers them for a group hug, choking poor Kevin in the process.

Young-seo also does her part to keep the rumors from reaching Hari’s parents’ ears, but she racks up a massive bill when she offers to cover the tab for all Mom and Dad’s customers as a means of distraction. As Young-seo cries over her 450,000 won receipt, Hari reveals that she’s not going to hold Yoo-ra accountable. Hari feels that she’s partially to blame for Yoo-ra’s jealousy and insecurities. (I understand taking the moral high ground, Hari, but Yoo-ra’s actions affected your professional reputation! Sic Young-seo on her!)

Back at the hospital, we’re treated to some bromantic fan service as Sung-hoon helps Tae-mu put on his sweater. The intimate, almost-but-not-quite-a-back-hug moment is interrupted by a nurse, who bashfully scuttles away to give them some privacy. Alone again, Tae-mu playfully whispers in Sung-hoon’s ear and tickles him under the chin because Sung-hoon’s mini freak-outs are the most adorable thing ever. (Well, writer, if you want me to abandon my OTP ships, this is how you do it.)

With his cell phone confiscated, Tae-mu sneaks away to use a payphone and call Hari. He pouts that she didn’t come by to see him, and — oblivious to the stress Hari’s under — Tae-mu admits that he’s happy Grandpa now knows about their relationship. He’s on the verge of broaching the topic of marriage when the payphone cuts their conversation short.

Without any coins on hand to call her back, Tae-mu returns to his hospital room, where he overhears Grandpa arranging for him to return to the United States. Tae-mu assumes it’s a plot to separate him from Hari and stresses that he will not be breaking up with her.

What if — hypothetically — someone finds out you’re dating an employee, Grandpa asks. But Tae-mu is confident their relationship can survive. After all, people won’t gossip if he marries her. Grandpa is startled by Tae-mu’s declaration, but he quickly returns to his glowering and grumbling as Tae-mu begs him to approve of their relationship.

Tae-mu’s appeal didn’t work, and the following day, Hari is summoned to the chairman’s office. Since Grandpa failed to send Tae-mu overseas, he tries to separate the lovebirds by transferring Hari to one of the company’s remote factories. Or, she can hand in her resignation. Those are her options.

Hari, however, responds to Grandpa’s offer with a giant hell-to-the-no. She’s worked too damn hard for the company to quit, and — in case he hasn’t glanced at her company profile — she lists all her many accomplishments to prove her value. So take that!

Next we see Hari, though, she’s regretting her outburst, and while she wanders aimlessly around Seoul to calm down, Tae-mu finally finds out about the scandal. He removes his own bandage — ‘tis but a flesh wound — and returns to the office, where he beelines straight for Hari’s department. He’s panicked to discover she was summoned to Grandpa’s office and hasn’t returned.

Once again — seriously, this is getting old — Grandpa forewarns the dangers of dating Hari. Beware the fragility of Tae-mu’s reputation as company president should he be caught dating a mere employee! The scandal! The board of directors!

Well, to hell with the board of directors! If they want me to resign, Tae-mu says, then I’ll resign, but stop messing with Hari.

He storms out of the office, but he still doesn’t have his cell phone. He tries to locate Hari at her home first, and Mom and Dad are understandably confused when “Kevin” shows up asking for Hari, who should be at work with him. To complicate matters, Tae-mu addresses them as his in-laws, and Mom becomes outraged at the thought of her daughter dating a man in his forties.

Ha-min steps in to defend his rich brother-in-law and lets Tae-mu borrow his cell phone. Tae-mu escapes and uses his newly acquired cell phone to leave Hari a voicemail. When she returns the call later, she’s at N Seoul Tower, and he rushes to meet her.

He takes her back to his place, where things get steamy. Their romantic evening starts out innocently, with a gentle back hug which turns into a tentative kiss. But then – oh my Goblin! — Tae-mu pushes her against the wall and increases the passion. Things continue to escalate until bow-chicka-bow — wow! — is this allowed on Korean television?

While Tae-mu was being formally introduced to Rachel and Samantha, Young-seo and Sung-hoon have dinner with her father. Things go surprisingly — suspiciously — well. So well, in fact, that when Young-seo finds an engagement ring in Sung-hoon’s glove compartment, she wonders why he’s waiting.

So what does our shy and sexy secretary do? He pulls the car over, vents his frustration that she’s always beating him to the words he wants to say, and gets down on one knee. Yay! One of our couples is engaged!

But the celebration is short-lived. Young-seo’s father calls Sung-hoon and demands that he break up with her, not knowing Young-seo overheard the entire conversation.

Although Sung-hoon still feels dejected the next day, Young-seo is calm and resigned, having accepted that her parents are crappy people a long time ago. Fortunately, she’s surrounded by many other wonderful friends, including Hari and her family, who have prepared a birthday meal for her.

Speaking of Hari’s parents, Mom doubts that Hari really spent the night at Young-seo’s. Dad assures her that Hari is a “good girl,” but Mom counters that she was a “good girl,” too, when she lied to her parents and went on that trip with Dad when they were younger.

Her intuition is proven correct when they return to the restaurant and spot Tae-mu dropping Hari off at home. Mom immediately goes into attack mode, but her temper is quelled after a sneaky online search yields Tae-mu’s net worth.

Hari’s father, however, remains quiet, even after they sit down to drink and celebrate Young-seo’s birthday. Sung-hoon proves himself to be an observant wingman and advises Tae-mu to speak with Hari’s father alone, so Tae-mu follows Dad when he excuses himself from the table.

The two men have a touching heart-to-heart, as Dad shares how ashamed he is that Hari couldn’t pursue her dreams growing up because their family didn’t have enough money. Dad’s biggest concern with her dating Tae-mu is how their relationship will expose Hari to people’s judgment and ridicule. Tae-mu admits that he would be lying if he swore Hari wouldn’t get hurt, but he promises Dad that he will protect her with all his might.

Tae-mu may have won over Hari’s father, but Young-seo decides to cut ties with hers. She arrives at his office and hands in her resignation. She’s not an object for him to possess or control with his money, and her parting words are a reminder that it was her birthday, which he clearly forgot. He looks appropriately scolded.

At home, Sung-hoon is supportive of her decision, but what will she do now? She’s always wanted to start her own business, and there’s no time like the present. It might be a little difficult because her severance pay isn’t the ideal amount to get a start-up off the ground, but it turns out Sung-hoon is quite the saver and investor. There are a lot of zeros in his bank book, and he insists on helping her.

Meanwhile, Grandpa continues to be obstinate and fakes a medical emergency in order to scare Tae-mu into being more compliant, but Grandpa’s lie is exposed before he even gets the chance to emotionally manipulate Tae-mu. Hari sees the situation as an opportunity to win Grandpa over, so she volunteers to take care of him at the hospital.

Grandpa does his best to maintain his cranky, disapproving façade, but Hari’s effortless ability to engage him in conversation has him slipping. He’s impressed by her knowledge of fish and wants to regale her with tales of his fishing expeditions, and when Hari begins singing along with the television program they’re watching, he taps his pineapple-socked feet along to the tune.

Hari still feels like a failure, though, because every time she made some headway, he just as quickly crossed his arms and resumed his glowering. Her failed efforts are a blow to her ego, as she prides herself on being a nursing home idol who can charm the socks off people over sixty!

Tae-mu is consoling her when the doctor joins them and explains that the tests he ran as part of Grandpa’s fake illness revealed a legitimate problem with the stent in Grandpa’s chest. Unfortunately, there’s no way to safely repair the issue in South Korea, and if Tae-mu wants to extend Grandpa’s life, he needs to seek treatment overseas.

Tae-mu asks Hari to join him in the United States because he can’t stand the thought of being away from her, and he would also prefer to have her by his side for moral support. Hari declines the offer, though. She knows if she follows him the gossip and speculation will only increase, and she can’t place that added burden on him when he’s already worried about Grandpa.

Thankfully, our couple agrees to navigate a long-distance relationship instead of having a last-minute finale breakup. Even so, I grit my teeth when the one-year-later text pops up on the screen, and the drama does everything to show us just how much life in Seoul had changed over the last year.

Hari’s hair has grown out, and she now occasionally wears glasses. Kevin, who has upped his fashion game, is managing his own team, and even though he acts tough around his subordinates, he’s still an aegyo-using softie around Eui-ju, his wife.

Sung-hoon has taken the year off from work while Tae-mu is in the states, and he’s become the perfect house-boyfriend to Young-seo. That’s right, they still aren’t married, but I assume it’s because they are putting their money towards Young-seo’s start-up company and holding off on the wedding ceremony.

Hari’s parents are doing well, too, but Mom is growing annoyed with Tae-mu, who hasn’t returned to South Korea as quickly as he’d promised. She suspects that he has another woman, and her speculation is perfectly timed with his latest scandal: that he’s dating a cellist.

At first, Hari is trusting and dismisses the scandal as fake news. But then he doesn’t answer her calls or her texts… Welp, that’s enough for Hari to cash in some of her vacation time, pack a suitcase, and adorn a you-will-regret-cheating-on-me-because-I’m-so-pretty outfit.

As she loads her suitcase into the trunk of a nearby taxi, Tae-mu emerges from the backseat. She’s deliriously happy to see him, but then she remembers the scandal and slaps him in the chest. Tae-mu explains that he was on the plane back to South Korea — to surprise her — when the scandal broke. The scandal was a lie leaked by the cellist’s parents, who disapprove of her real boyfriend.

After the misunderstanding is cleared, our favorite couple takes a walk among the cherry blossoms, and Hari asks if Grandpa approves of their relationship yet. Of all the things to remain unchanged over the past year, of course it’s Grandpa’s stubbornness.

But it seems Grandpa has come around with time because he gave specific instructions to Tae-mu: Don’t come home unless Hari accepts “it.” The “it” in question is a gorgeous engagement ring. (Oh my! Are those little raindrops around the band?!)

Hari is surprised by the sudden proposal, but Tae-mu reminds her that he’s a man who hates wasting his time. Since he can’t stand spending any more time apart, they should get married. Hari lets him place it on her finger, but as they walk away – happily, together again – she teases that she never said yes.

Well, Beanies, I wish I could say that I was happy with how our story wrapped up, but I’m not. I went into the finale trusting that Grandpa’s anger was either an act or would be resolved quickly, so I was disappointed that his uncharacteristic behavior was neither of those things. The longevity of his disapproval zapped the life and humor out of our final episodes, and I feel deprived of a proper farewell with one of our most beloved characters.

The drama also lost sight of its cheeky self-awareness. Through most of its run, Business Proposal was a pastiche, taking beloved K-drama tropes and exploiting them for our comedic benefit. It was gloriously self-aware of the rom-com genre and unapologetically celebratory of its roots, which was a large part of the drama’s charm and appeal.

Unfortunately, towards the end, Business Proposal stopped doing what it did best and started taking itself seriously in the worst way possible — like a Nicholas Sparks novel that should be shelved under romance but somehow winds up in the literature section. In our final two episodes, we got a scandal, a jealous ex, a sick loved one, a last minute couple separation, and a time-skip. Did any of these tropes spark joy or bring something new to the table? No, they detracted from an otherwise happy ending.

I could go into greater detail about how I think this drama should have wrapped up, but I won’t do that here. Instead, I think I’m going to take advantage of our current Theme of the Month and do a little ending fixing. I’ve enjoyed “squeecapping” this drama so much that I’m going to be a little self-indulgent and say goodbye on my own terms.

104

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1 welh

April 6, 2022 at 12:15 PM

The first half of the series was great comedy; the second half went melo-trope. The parental objections to both couples was so stereotypical dull. Grandpa and HR bonding in the hospital room was the best part of the last two episodes - - - more of that to win him over was needed in the worst way. But he goes off to US and a year later is OK with it? The second leads story was much better until YS father derailed it and their ending was left totally up in the air.

The ending seemed unfinished, especially for the second lead couple. A double wedding would have been nice.

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2 Alluvial_Fan

April 6, 2022 at 12:15 PM

You go @daebakgrits and fix that spam of an ending. I've enjoyed your weecaps nearly as much as the show, so with a little adjustment on your part, we'll have the ending this marvelous rom-com deserves.
Thanks to the writers/cast/crew for a screwball comedy that bought smiles and laughter to many of us. We even celebrated Monday mornings!

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FiyaShady

April 6, 2022 at 1:27 PM

Indeed. No more waiting for Monday morning drama now 🤭😅.
I love the simple ending, there shouldn't be any petition for second season unless they want to make 2nd couple become the lead.
I do not want nitpicking about the filler on the last episode...it was a nice end show for me. My happy Monday pills just full enough for now 🥰.
Looking forward for Sejeong and HyoSeop next drama.
Goodbye, TaeMoo and Hari 🥰...

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3 aida

April 6, 2022 at 12:20 PM

"While Tae-mu was being formally introduced to Rachel and Samantha," that archaeopteryx sound came out of me while reading this 😂

*sigh* I'll miss this show. It wasn't perfect, and, for me personally, lacked that crack-factor, but it made me happy.

Mondays are back to being doomy and gloomy 😔

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4 NN registered

April 6, 2022 at 12:27 PM

A disappointing drama in the end. The drama writer wants us to believe that Hari could never grow and re-imagine her life. Before she met Mr. Kang, her life revolved around obsession over Min-woo and supporting her parents’ fried chicken eatery. Episode 12 comes, and her life still revolves around Min-woo and her parents’ fried chicken eatery. I thought that Min-woo is permanently gone in episode 10, but no, the writer brings him back and has Hari confess her love for him in episode 12 -- why?! Throughout the whole drama, Hari never confesses to Tae-moo and only tells him that she accepts his feelings. Marrying Tae-moo without love for him while still in love with Min-woo would make Hari a gold digger. Hari goes after Tae-moo only when she is jealous, which is not because she loves him, but because she hates other women (as we are shown in her harsh treatment of Yoo-ra, which leads to Yoo-ra lashing back at Hari with the comments for the video). Compare that to Young-seo and her bold declaration that Sung-hoon is the man of her dreams. All that massive expenditure of time, affection and money, and all Tae-moo could get from Hari was a one night stand but not her heart!

But the writer also thinks that Tae-moo does not really love Hari but is merely intrigued by the risque sexuality and promiscuous behavior of Fake Ms Jin/Geum-hui -- it’s the ‘Samantha and Rachel’ thing. The writer makes Tae-moo explain on the boat that he liked Hari because ‘she would say the craziest things’ and then we are given a flashback of Fake Ms. Jin talking about dating several men at the same time -- look, the writer says, Mr. Kang finds this kind of behavior appealing rather than appalling! It is Sung-hoon -- the exemplary man (see below) -- who is shocked by both Fake Ms Jin’s behavior and Mr. Kang’s willingness to marry her. Yes, Tae-moo keeps on telling Hari and everyone else that he loves her, but he utters these words too easily and carelessly for Hari and for us to trust his confessions. Compare this to Sung-hoon, who found Young-seo attractive because she was good with a child in the convenience store. Of course real Hari is not like Fake Ms Jin/Geum-hui, she is not a temptress but a caretaker, and so instead of titillating Tae-moo’s senses, she tends to his fears and panic attacks. Tae-moo’s dates with real Hari are boring, more like meetings with a therapist. Restenosis is so common, it hardly warrants a trip to New York for an unproven stem cell therapy -- a simple re-stenting would do the job. Besides, with diabetes, hypertension and advanced cardiovascular disease, grandpa was a living dead at his age. After the one night stand, Tae-moo loses interest in Hari and uses grandpas’ health ‘scare’ as an excuse to end his relationship with her.

So, the real ending was about 15 min before the end of the final episode, and everything in the final 6 min is an alternative ending for those who would cry if Tae-moo and Hari did not end up together. Here’s the...

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NN registered

April 6, 2022 at 12:28 PM

ending intended by the writer: Tae-moo and Hari break up, Hari meets up and marries Min-woo, who comes back from Europe, she then quits her job at Go Foods and manages Min-woo’s up-scale restaurants (closing her parents’ friend chicken place). She is content to ‘move up’ in the restaurant business rather then to change her social status, plus she gets her boy - take that Yoo-ra (if anyone can carry a grudge, it is Hari, not Tae-moo). This was her plan all alone -- to promote Min-woo’s restaurants using her position with Go Foods and then marry him to run his businesses. Except, Min-woo messed up by accepting Yoo-ra -- that’s why Hari cried a river. She only gave a relationship with Tae-woo a try and slept with him to get back at Min-woo. Tae-moo meanwhile meets a talented cellist. They bond over love of music, good food and shared aspirations. They marry and together head a major food company, bringing wholesome Korea food to the world.

So, the question is: is it the ‘fault’ of the chaebol, the audience or the writer that the story turned out the way it did? pulsenews.co.kr reported in 2020 that the frequency of chaebol marriage to ‘normal’ people increased from ~12% to ~26%. The article mentioned that “Hanwha Group’s heir apparent Kim Dong-kwan married a female worker he met while working at Hanwha Solutions.” -- just like what was supposed to be in the drama. Once it became clear at the end of episode 10 that the story will take the predictable path of chaebol parents rejecting a commoner daughter-in-law, the viewership dipped -- the viewers were not onboard with the story direction. So, it is the writer’s fault -- the writer disapproves of the unions between chaebol and ‘commoners’ more than any chaebol parents. The writer’s constant beating down on the chaebol-commoner relationships feels way over the top. What kind of mother does not think her daughter deserves the best man and asks “Why would a perfect man like you fall in love with my daughter?” The flip-flop by Young-seo’s father with regard to Sung-hoon serves no story purpose except to get the viewers’ hopes up and then crush them -- this is cruel on the part of the writer. When Hari’s brother says that his family does not have to work hard anymore, because Hari’s boyfriend is rich -- that was mean to Hari’s hard-working parents. While the writer turns Hari’s and Tae-moo’s relationship into a mess, she presents Young-seo and Sung-hoon as the exemplary progressive couple -- they supposedly love each other, Sung-hoon likes Young-seo as a good mother to his potential children rather than as an attractive sexy woman, he does not spend excessively on her but gives her his savings to start a business (how thoughtful and frugal -- Christian Puritans would be proud!), she renounces her chaebol status to stay with him, and Sung-hoon quits (temporarily) being a chaebol ‘servant’. So, the writer believes it is fruitless to appreciate women for their beauty and smarts and the only way for a...

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NN registered

April 6, 2022 at 12:30 PM

... a commoner. The only problem with Young-seo and Sung-hoon is that they are not proven winners and don’t seem to have the same level of talent and competence as Hari, Tae-moo or Min-woo. Their dreams of independently rising to chaebol will hit the harsh reality of their own limitations. Even with Sung-hoon looking over her shoulder, chances are high that Young-seo will just waste Sung-hoon’s money, money issues will rip them apart, and they will go back to where they ‘came’ from -- being a chaebol and a ‘servant’ of a chaebol.

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hacja

April 6, 2022 at 12:51 PM

No offense, but I think you are confusing the ending intended by the writer of Business Proposal with the ending intended by the writer of 25-21!

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NN registered

April 8, 2022 at 8:44 PM

I did not watch 25-21. For those who disagree with me, I welcome your views because this may point me to what I am missing about this drama. Hari's indirect confession that she is not over her feelings for Min-wu in episode 12 does not sit well with me. Hari did not tell Tae-mu at any point that she likes him -- it is all indirect -- like "you made me fall for you", "I accepted your feelings" and such. Just because Hari takes care of Tae-mu panic attacks does not mean she is in love with him. In a way, individuals need to deal with their panic attack on their own, instead of relying on romantic relations for therapy. Overall, the drama was a missed opportunity to create a positive uplifting story. I for one happen to think that the most exciting women are both sexy and smart; these same woman are also good and caring mothers. At first, I thought the story will be about the sexiness of Fake Ms Jin/Geum-hui and smartness of Hari and that Tae-moo would be attracted to both only to find out to his delight and relief that these are one and the same woman. Hari on her part would also grow to love and appreciate Tae-moo not because he is a chaebol but because he is an attractive, smart and kind person, and because they feel and work good together (unlike how disjointed her relationship was with Min-wu). But a potentially enjoyable story from a web comic was eviscerated and packaged into a familiar formula by a pitiful writer.

ceca

April 6, 2022 at 1:45 PM

Comment was deleted

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NN registered

April 8, 2022 at 8:33 PM

Thank you. I am not a writer, I work in a scientific field.

froyo

April 7, 2022 at 3:20 PM

did we watch the same drama...

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NN registered

April 8, 2022 at 8:46 PM

Please see above my comment to hacja.

5 kimchiturka

April 6, 2022 at 12:28 PM

I liked the finale. Especially the proper introduction of Tae-mu to Rachel and Samantha, very nicely done.

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6 Eazal

April 6, 2022 at 12:31 PM

I loved the drama and enjoyed every episode because it was such silly, tropey drama... but I have to agree with you. I was shocked on grandpa's strong determination against HaRi because I found it totally out of place. I could have understood a bit of conflict (and using it for comedy) but for two episodes it wasn't funny. Same happened to YoungSeo's dad. It would have been perfect if he didn't go for the "break up with my daughter" specially when she had talked about her dad giving a thick envelope of money to a former crush, we could have seen he changed, another trope broken and another reason to smile.

Yet, I liked the drama a lot. I didn't expect much from it, so I got a lot.

Forever a fan of Rachel and Samantha!

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Elinor

April 6, 2022 at 4:33 PM

I'm going to disagree just a little about how much Grandpa has turned against HR - after all, he's the one who points out that HR will suffer much more from malicious gossip than TM will because she’s just an employee, and it's clear from TM's reaction that he hasn’t thought of that. And at this point TM is still ignorant of the social media shitshow. (Isn't it nice to have privilege!) Good for grandpa for thinking of HR's well-being as well as TM's, even if he's mad at her.

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7 jerrykuvira

April 6, 2022 at 12:34 PM

And the award for dumbest parents goes to Hari's Folks.

Harabuji's heart of gold can't just resist his Guem-hui.

The award for Green Snake Dad goes to Young-seo's father. For one moment I thought he approved of Sung-hoon. Young-seo finding parental figures in Hari's folks is one of the best things to happen to her.

Where's the wedding? This is pure cheating, show.

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8 hacja

April 6, 2022 at 12:36 PM

Thanks for the recap @daebakgrits. I think almost everyone is going to agree with your critical judgement of the shows ending. When it concluded, I said to myself "Aigoo, Business Proposal! Why did you feel so compelled to pile on so many tropes that they overwhelmed the fun and even the romance! It wasn't enough to just have the time skip; we had to have the trip away, and then what was that "scandal" with the musician in New York? It was all very unsatisfying, especially since it also took time away from a decent ending for the lovable secondary couple. The only defense of this ending I could think of is that they were making joking references to a whole bunch of shows that I hadn't seen, but if so it was so "inside" that anybody like myself who loves k-rom-coms but isn't totally steeped in their history is left out.

What was it this week with great k-dramas and their last episodes? (or even the last half hour of their last episodes?) I'm wondering if the main writers had finished all but the last episode when they were put in covid quarantine without any cell phones or form of modern communication, so that the rest involved with the show forgot their names and what relationship they had to the production, and even whether they were married to them or not, and the directors choose instead to end things vaguely with key issues or couples left hanging. I bet if we go into the writers' quarantine cells we will find the clue to the real endings scratched with a pen knife on the walls, but in cryptic format that will first be interpreted as a phone number but is instead a locker number in a train station, or the number of a box at a columbarium, in which the true script will be found. Then the new ending episodes should be filmed immediately, before its too late and alienated fans give the shows low ratings on Dramabeans!

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Nal

April 6, 2022 at 9:24 PM

😂 I was already scared to check the DB ratings for fear of a repeat of what happened to 2521 but it seems like we are in the clear for now since the writer gave the people a happy ending

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9 beffels

April 6, 2022 at 12:40 PM

I mean, the ending wasn’t TERRIBLE? No one died and no one broke up (except Min Woo and Yoo Ra but no one cares about them). But I expected better. It felt rushed and like they tried to cram in all the tropes without bothering to remember to make them funny.
So I’m disappointed that it’s not going to be a classic (for me) but at least I don’t want to break my screen.

I really enjoyed the performances of all four leads - Kim Se Jeong in particular- so I’ll be looking out for them in future.

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FiyaShady

April 6, 2022 at 1:50 PM

SeJeong act inside and outside drama scenes save a lot of points for this drama.
She did a good heavy lifting to bring up this drama, as it was a super cliché rom-com script. Again, I agreed with so many pointless trope in last episode. Some parts of me wanting the drama just ended with simple, funny plots and wedding and honeymoon (like the webcomic)...but begger cannot be a chooser, I guess.
I do believe the rating will definitely be slash down by lots (reading and judging from the comment from many resources).

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Kes

December 9, 2024 at 10:04 AM

I felt like the ending of ep 8 was perfect and the rest of the epsiodes just dragged on and it would have good if the last episode was as good as 8th

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John Doe

April 7, 2022 at 1:14 AM

I was confused by the ending. Not like plot confused but like "what? this is the end?". People speculate when the last shoot pics were revealed that HR would go to the US to join TM. So i thought half way through the last episode "oh okay, HR will eventually join TM, and finally grandpa would give his blessings to the couple and happily ever after" but no. Grandpa's blessing was off-screen. YS and SH couple is still questionable long term (financially). The scandal was brought up and resolved in like 30 seconds. HR specifically said to MW that "when i no longer have feelings for you blablabla", so she still have lingering feelings for MW up until the end?. The ending was confusing to say the least, sooo maybe S2?

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10 Kurama

April 6, 2022 at 12:53 PM

The last episode was pretty disapointed. I wanted to see Grandpa embracing Hari like he did with Geum-Hui. He always said he wanted his grandson to be happy but when he finally found a woman he loves, they gave us grumpy Grandpa and added an useless illness! Why an illness? It made time passing and it's all... They could do it without it. It didn't bring any growth to the characters.

The last episode was totally a filler :p

For the drama, it was fun and light. I loved the archeopteryx!

My only issue was AHS's acting. He looks handsome, but I was seeing him acting for the whole show... Even when he was sleeping at the hospital.

The heart of the show was cleary the actresses : Kim Se-Jung and Seol In-Ah. They were great and gave so much punch to their characters 😍

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11 Nal

April 6, 2022 at 1:08 PM

This drama will definitely have a special place in my heart 🥺, I loved it with all my heart.

I agree that the ending felt rushed and I hoped we would spend more time with our couples but it has still made my list of all time faves dramas☺️.

I was side-eyeing harabuji so much during the last 2 episodes 😒. Did "Be strong Geum-hee" teach him nothing?

I thought Young-seo's dad would be trouble, then episode 11 pleasantly fake surprised me, only for the last episode to give me the urge to throw my shoe at his face (it doesn't help that I hated his character in Happiness 😑).

Thanks for the weecaps. I looked forward to reading them almost as much as watching the drama.

On that note, I'm back to hating Mondays!

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12 Kafiyah Bello

April 6, 2022 at 1:27 PM

Awwwwwwwwwwww, this was cute. I enjoyed it. The separation trope was interesting because usually there is some reason for no contact, but that wasn't the case here. I loved this drama so I am happy I watched it.

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beffels

April 6, 2022 at 2:13 PM

I was pleased that when they were separated they weren’t like “and now we must not speak to each other for a year because the internet and telephones do not exist”

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panshel

April 6, 2022 at 11:44 PM

I wanted him to surprise her during one of their video calls. Like she's talking, then he pretends to take a work call and hangs up, so she's hurt, but then he knocks on her door and surprises her that he's back in Korea.

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13 FormAnOrderlyQueue

April 6, 2022 at 1:33 PM

Thanks @daebakgrits for finishing your recaps in style! Like you (and most of the Kdrama-watching universe it seems), the ending left me disappointed - what a shame! I so desperately wanted a stronger parallel with Stay Strong Geum Hui - for Grandpa to realise his favourite drama was playing out in real life and to actively mimic the tropes of the drama to wind up Tae-mu and Hari before giving in with a giggle. Could have been *so* funny. Alas, he became a bore rather than the fun-loving character we met at first. Agree that the last episode had far too many tropes not played for laughs which left it feeling stale. Such a shame - cos at the end of ep11, having been treated to AHS's extremely attractive back (seriously, wow!) hopes were high that ep12 would go out in a blaze of glory. Not to be - but although it's not going to enter my top 5, it's still going to leave me smiling.

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Kathykat

April 7, 2022 at 8:40 AM

Yes, I expected the drama to use the fact that Grandpa (and then Hari's father were watching k-dramas) to some effect in the end. They just dropped that whole comedic thread. I wish they'd followed your suggestion.

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bbstl 🧹

April 8, 2022 at 4:46 PM

Such a miss 😟

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panshel

April 7, 2022 at 7:21 PM

Have you watched Lovers of the Red Sky? Ahn Hyo-seop and his back are in it. https://youtu.be/fJQerQA9dgo?t=154

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FormAnOrderlyQueue

April 9, 2022 at 1:07 AM

I have, but clearly the red lenses were sooooooo distracting, I missed the back entirely.... :) :) :) Good call!

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14 Aigoooo

April 6, 2022 at 1:59 PM

A great rom-com with a passable ending. I really wish they'd gone full comedy throughout though but, alas, they went basic with the final conflicts. Since they used tropes in a fun way during the first half of the drama, I was hoping they'd take the opportunity to break tropes for the second half. Grandpa was a bit of a scamp in the beginning. It would have been great if he actually approved but did a fake out and messed with the lovebirds in a fun way just to get back at them for lying to him instead of being the typical disapproving grandpa.

At least I am grateful that this was only 12 episodes. I think the drama would have really suffered if it was a typical 16.

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FiyaShady

April 6, 2022 at 2:16 PM

True. I am glad it is 12 episodes only.

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15 loveblossom🌸

April 6, 2022 at 2:02 PM

The finale wasn’t flashy or surprising. It ended on a nice, comforting note. It could have been stronger though.

Hari was an awesome character. She was independent, smart, and loyal. Kind and considerate. Her communication was almost always good. She wasn’t frustrating. She was never malicious or unkind to Yoora or Min Woo despite how they treated her. She was a good, decent person to her core. So was Tae Moo. He was a chaebol character who had some arrogance, but he wasn’t mean and his communication wasn’t too bad.

Their budding romance made me smile and laugh. Warm fuzzies. Their sexy scene had some hot moves, but I was like ok, that happened. It made sense with them reuniting and their emotions running high. I don't think either of them are innocent or naive. It’s just they never gave off that passionate, sexy vibe before.

The finale that could have been better. It seemed like a lot of things happened and were vaguely included or resolved. Like I wanted to see Grandpa showing his approval to Hari in person. I enjoyed their time together when he was in the hospital. So cute how he wavered and admonished himself for liking her. She was also great in how she responded to his job offer or resigning. The love criminal line cracked me up.

Loved the realistic scene between Tae Moo and Hari’s father. Her father had valid concerns. Tae Moo’s response was good. I expected more fall out or office gossip to happen in the last hour, but it didn’t.

I was surprised that Sung Hoon had proposed to Young Seo just after one month of dating. But then the 1 year time skip happened and they were still engaged which was more realistic. I liked that she stood her ground with her father and had her own career plans, they were just vague. Still, it was a nice ending for the secondary couple.

The 1 year time skip wasn't bad. The show even poked fun at it when Hari commented that they weren’t going to break up due to the distance or whatever.

Yoora was a coward to the end. Less screentime for her was fine anyway.

Overall, this drama fits the genre ROM-COM well. The angsty parts didn’t drag down the show. A sweet, light easy watch. Definitely would recommend it to a rom-com lover.

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16 Tazzo

April 6, 2022 at 2:09 PM

Yeah I agree. The ending episodes zapped the fun out of the whole series sadly. ESP do 12, I wasn’t expecting grandpas unnecessary Sudden illness and the year long gap. Also wanted weddings for both the couples.

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17 Miss_elly

April 6, 2022 at 2:20 PM

"While Tae-mu was being formally introduced to Rachel and Samantha"
Omg i just laughed so hard at this comment i nearly choked!

Over all I loved this show and i am sad to see it end. and i was satified for the most part of the ending. Both our couples are together and happy. I loved that Hari was such a great lead. And that our couples were actual adults had had real mature relationships with communication.

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18 ceca

April 6, 2022 at 2:21 PM

Comment was deleted

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19 bunnylita

April 6, 2022 at 2:22 PM

I disagree about the ending. This show used romcom tropes and used them well throughout. You can both lean into them and subvert them, which was done all throughout the drama. I mean they'd make fun of the product placement in the drama within the drama while in Hari's parents product placement restaurant.

When it came to the ending it was the same to me. Yes, there was a separation, but it was handled well in a way that made sense from what we know about the characters. Of course Taemoo couldn't send his grandfather off alone and of course Hari would want to stay not only not to distract him but for herself and her career. The entire ending felt true to every character to me, and that's what I like to see. Using tropes and using them well for the story you're telling is a win in my book. Now I'm off to watch the whole thing again.

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20 Lonestar Girl

April 6, 2022 at 2:58 PM

@daebakgrits you knocked this recap out of the park! I laughed so hard and completely agree with your assessment. I especially liked, “like a Nicholas Sparks novel that should be shelved under romance but somehow winds up in the literature section.”
I enjoyed this drama immensely and should not complain, at least we got a happy ending. But I’m greedy and wanted more for our couples. Like a double wedding a la Elizabeth and Jane Bennett.
Sincere question: is the one year separation codified Korean law for dramas? I think it must be, otherwise I don’t understand why it’s used so much when all it does is detract from a story.

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hacja

April 6, 2022 at 3:51 PM

I too was wondering about that. (In Beloved Summer wasn't it even longer?) Obviously it serves two purposes--to show that the couple is committed or destined even when their relationship is put to the test, but also sometimes to forestall any concern that couples are rushing into the relationship. But in a lot of K-dramas, both of those are purposes are completely unnecessary, so it just seems like something thrown in because people expect it.
In this one, there was no need to make grandfather's procedure, whatever it was, something that could not be performed in Korea, so I think it was simply to introduce that trope as just one more that of course would appear in any k-rom-com.
The problem is that the show could have done something of the same thing with a simple time-skip trope, with Tae-Mu not wanting to get married while his Grandfather was undergoing this procedure and Harri in strong support, which would have been true to character, which still would have allowed everything to end happily with the cherry blossom trope, and yet also allowed a few more minutes to really solidly resolve other things, or introduce one more humorous take, rather than bringing in that fake musician scandal, which wasn't funny and served no purpose--since there already had been a scandal and the couple showed their love by surviving-even thriving-during it.

So the ending second scandal I don't understand at all, unless it refers to another show as many of the scenes do, so I imagine that's whats happening.

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21 nilsche

April 6, 2022 at 3:28 PM

Watching ABP feels like im eating my favorite meals in my favorite restaurant and enjoy every mouthful of them, until it down to last three bites and i suddenly get a call that my work deadline got forwarded (is this the right term?) By a week, that is tommorow.

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22 gadis

April 6, 2022 at 4:09 PM

While Tae-mu was being formally introduced to Rachel and Samantha

😆😆😂😂😂
Seriously, your witty weecap is on another level altogether.

adorn a you-will-regret-cheating-on-me-because-I’m-so-pretty outfit

Ha!
A very apt description if there was ever one.

I have to agree with you that the last 2 eps are especially lacking in humor and harmless crazy fun that this drama is all about. (Though I'm happy I can still adore Hari's adorkable team members who stayed fun and incredibly loyal till the very end.) I have high hope the writer would know how to navigate the possibility of angst in a delightfully self-aware way as usual, but alas.

Still, after a long time I finally found another rewatching worthy romcom, which was a bit of a rarity these days (even though I have to skip the last few eps just to preserve the zaniness).

Thank you for your cracktastic squeecap, @daebakgrits. It's a joy to read. And I can't wait to read your version of a perfect ending for this drama.

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23 Elinor

April 6, 2022 at 4:28 PM

Well. After watching that entire series, I can only conclude: Korean elevators must be the slowest in the world.

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24 Tizzy

April 6, 2022 at 4:45 PM

The drama fizzled at the end. There was nothing fun or anything to squeal about. It’s wasn’t bad but the ending was just ok. I feel that they rushed it. Perhaps it would have been better to have 13 episodes and show us how grandpa changed his heart, etc.

I didn’t like the one year time skip. What was that for? To show us the 2nd lead couple did ok without the dad? Why did Tae Mu have to stay in the US for one year?

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25 Elinor

April 6, 2022 at 4:58 PM

Overall, this was a fun romp and I laughed out loud more than I ever have at any kdrama. I agree that the ending was a bit flat, but not enough to spoil the whole show. The biggest problem for me in the last two episodes, especially ep. 12, was that the comic, romantic, heart-tugging, and plot-thread-tying elements were out of balance compared to the rest of the series. We didn't need one more scene of TM and HR frantically hiding from her coworkers. (I did love Kevin’s hair-slicking motions after he tells off the gossipy coworkers - complete with archaeopteryx screech! I’ve kinda hated his stock annoying-coworker character up to now but suddenly I’m all Team Kevin, Archaeopteryx Understudy/Backup Dancer.) YS's awkward birthday meal went on too long and had too damned much drinking before the private conversation between TM and HR's father. No final scene with assy Min-woo was necessary, just a "closed' sign as someone walks past his restaurant. Some of that running time should have been spent on shopping for wedding dresses! And weddings! And babies! Not to mention better resolution of YS's and SH's romance and her declaration of independence from dad, as well as on more light-hearted scenes between TM and HR and some indication of how they spent their time apart. We didn't need a one-year separation. "One Month Later" would have been fine and would still have gotten TM back in time for some cherry blossoms.

When I rewatch this - and I will! - I'm just going to stop at the end of ep. 11 with that epic display of male pulchritude and then maybe, maybe fast-forward to the taxi and the cherry blossoms and the ring. Nonetheless, it's been a heck of a ride and I'm going to miss it.

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