They almost stuck the landing. The good parts were the cat comparison(hilarious) and the little brother introduction. The return of the romance was meh. I wish they had given Jun Ho more though. Min Woo's about turn was weird. The rest was just fine.

Other than Min-woo, I was fine with pretty much everything else in the drama. Jun-ho should have had more to do but we've sailed through many a drama where the FL was similarly opaque. It was a nice wrap and I'd be happy with or without a Season 2.

Finally, it's up🥳.....

First of all @unit, it has been an awesome 8 weeks of you been our weecaptain (stole that word from your recap), thank you for the recaps because I almost have up on watching two weeks back but your recaps made me curious enough to continue.side note : I think I want the season 2, I mean the writer has so much potential in the makjang department.... imagine the dramas she would spin for us 😊

I’m gonna bite the bullet and continue to be controversial. As is my second nature at this point. Or actually probably first nature.
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I actually thought that the way the resolved the break up between Junho and WYW only made me SURER that the break up wasn’t at all necessary and their communication issues did not have to happen the way they did.

I felt that there was no great challenge or moment overcome in how Junho asked for clarification or in how WYW answered that necessitated it happened AFTER what happened in 14, and after a break up, and felt that that conversation in front of her house could’ve itself happened in 14.

In fact, as I felt last week, I feel like their entire relationship from post anxiety hug, but really post kiss in episode 10, should’ve taken a different direction, because I felt that our Whale Couple as a result of all this somehow weirdly didn’t progress or end up that much farther from where they were at in episode 10, which is the very start of their entire romantic relationship.

A different scenario rather than Junho’s sister’s comments could’ve triggered WYW’s anxieties about Junho’s happiness and loneliness in the relationship. Consequently, a different scenario could’ve brought about the conversation where WYW explains herself, and Junho thus has the opportunity to respond.

As a matter of fact, I think this topic should’ve come up DIRECTLY AFTER Episode 10, as a lead on from their conversation prior to the kiss, and should’ve therefore been resolved during 11, 12 and 13, thus leaving our couple at a stronger point for the finale, than they started out, which would’ve made more sense and been more satisfying narratively.

I thus still, and quite adamantly, stand by the fact that it did NOT have to be a break up that induced this, and that there are other ways to write about these subject matters, for both ASD characters and non-alike.

Especially because the break up and make up was just so Very Kdrama. It felt like every other kdrama break up and make up in execution and resolution and nothing felt particularly necessary for it to happen the way it did just because WYW has ASD.

Indeed, I think it is limiting of the subject matter [ASD] to submit to the trope in this manner.

I spent a good part of these episodes wishing the truck of doom will give Attorney Jang a little scare (not kill him 😅) and it really made me appreciate our Atty Jung 😍.

I did like the little we saw of WYW's brother and kind of wish he had been introduced earlier but that might have just added another plot line they won't have been able to wrap up properly.

I found the reconciliation between our OTP so random 😂. I kept saying wrong place, wrong time and thinking that she would have missed the opportunity to see her mom if this was real life but we will allow it for plot purposes I guess.

Our spring sunshine significantly changed Min-woo?? Wow... The power of love💀

As for the Tae Su mi Hanbada beef, I guess we will have to wait. I didn't even know there were deleted scenes going around 😅.

I was scared that they would end with a cliffhanger after the season 2 announcement but this was nice. We could have done without a second season but I definitely won't mind being reunited with our Hanbada crew after KTO's military service.
The whole cast was amazing and Park Eun-Bin's performance was stellar. I really hope she gets all the love and recognition she deserves.
This drama is definitely making it to the list of favourites for this year.

Thank you @unit for the weecaps 😊

Now what do I love..... almost everything?? ......I mean apart from the taciturn turning a new leaf 2 episodes to the end and Jun ho being a handbag all through the season.

This drama made me.... reflect, I mean I did not enjoy all the episodes but the episodes that I enjoyed will stay with me a long time....EP 15 especially put the fear of God in me about not using work laptops to open all sort of flies
Even taciturn Kwon..... even though I will forever hate his character taught me, we aren't all black and white....we all have shades of grey.....so thanks EAW....thank you park eun bin.....I didn't think I could love you more than I already did.....thanks hand bag Jun ho.....because you showed us, a girl should always love a green flag guy and to myeong seok....... I think we all need a boss who sees the weird and still takes it in strides( I know it's wishful thinking but dramagods....lead role for JKJ please).....I will be back in the morning to wax poetry about the awesomeness of the last episodes .

I think this final week was reasonable, given last week. I do wish they had left more time at the end for a more complete conclusion (maybe they didn’t bother because of the season 2 possibility?). We know that WYW gets a permanent job, but I’m curious about how the other rookies fared also, and whether Myeong-seok stayed at Hanbada (as was hinted at) and fell into the same bad habits, or if he was able to find more balance in his life.

I was not super satisfied with the romantic wrap-ups. I wish that Junho and Young-woo had had a more extensive conversation that didn’t involve comparing her to a housepet. And I really wanted them to find things that they could both enjoy instead of having to rely on the fact that they like each other as people as their only source of contentment when on dates. Which is not to say that their wide smiles at the end were any less gorgeous.

Min-woo’s storyline could have been so much better (in my opinion, obviously) if they had changed just a couple of things. He should have shown interest in Sunshine slightly earlier and more consistently (can be subtle – dramas love lingering gazes) for that part to be a little less sudden. I would have had him continue to be a jerk to Young-woo in the way he was in the ATM technology case – not sharing info with her, assigning her things he knows she won’t be good at, etc. But I would totally eliminate the part where he goes to Tae Su-mi and makes the deal to get Young-woo to quit and the whole bit where he sends the documents to the opposing lawyer. It’s too dramatic and throws off the whole tone. I would also have introduced his motivation earlier. If you want me to believe he is not just a competitive jerk for the sake of it, I’m going to need his rationale earlier in the show. This drama didn’t give us much background on any of our side characters, which I think is totally fine, but knowing his reasons for needing this job would have gone a long way to helping me develop empathy for him. And finally I would have liked to see him start to change before he realized Sunshine was potentially interested in him. Sunshine could have caught him doing something cruddy to Young-woo and reprimanded him, and that could have been the thing that made him think harder about how he was acting. Then we could have had scenes of him trying to be nicer, or at least more collaborative, but sort of failing at it, and it still could have culminated in their confrontation about him being too politically minded and her wanting him to be more foolish sometimes. The drama did a good job of making me want to cheer for him in the end, but it was hard given his history and short redemption arc.

(Also, there's no frakking way Junho would leave WYW to a mob of reporters, break up and jerk-nim Lead Attorney or no. He wouldn't even have done that before they confessed or were dating. Come on.)

What I liked in these last eps:

1. Park Eunbin is a truly gifted actor. I can imagine how much prep she undertook as well to convey her role with such depth, nuance and originality but she seems to be very talented as well.
2. I loved the drawings. They were both whimsical and almost real.
3. Sanghyein was a refreshing character: thoughtful, sensitive, likeable and poignantly acted. I would have liked to have seen much more of him.

Overall, liked this series so much and wished it would go on a bit longer so that some of the subplots could have been fleshed out or alternatively plotted better (so to edit some scenes out and include more salient ones, at least to me).

What I didn’t like in the last eps:
1. I remain disappointed at how poorly conceived Minwoo’s redemption attempt came across. I can’t even call it an arch given how sudden and thinly substantiated it has been. Redemption should involve demonstrated reflection on one’s conduct, admission of one’s wrongdoing and attempts to behave differently. Having the hots for someone as a reason for the alleged change in character was a lazy and easy way out of the toxic character that they had created. I didn’t buy that one bit.
2. A real pity that Youngwoo wasn’t shown to have introduced Juhno to her dad and for that important encounter to have been included on screen. Her dad was such a poignant and sympathetic character and deserved more screen time. Jeon Baesoo did a wonderful job as Woo Gwangho.
3. No where enough scenes with Youngwoo and Juhno. It was annoying for the drama to have hyped that aspect so much and then, leave the audience begging for more. Even if a second series is a remote possibility, Kang Taeoh will be in the military so won’t be able to participate.
4. Attorney Jang was a caricature in his awfulness: A cowardly, obsequious and opportunistic bully but there are people like that for sure in the RL.
5. Using suicide as a dramatic device: While I understand some of the cultural resonance and salience of this issue, it seems at the very least cavalier to me not to provide a critical commentary on it given the real risk of suicidal ideation in a country that has such a relatively high rate of suicide.

it was a nice ending. I wanted youngwoo and junho to end up together mainly for the message that she can indeed make someone happy. I think if the drama ended with them not together, the final impression would be that youngwoo indeed couldn't be in a romantic relationshio after all and this would go against everything the drama set up to be in my opinion: a warm, hopeful and sweet tale. I'm happy. it's easily one of my all time favorites.

I feel kind of bad for writing this, but I found myself wishing that Young Woo had taken the offer to go to Boston where she could have been in a community of high-functioning autistic people, have access to skilled and knowledgable therapists and could have the support she said she desired to help her know herself better. I was kind of hoping that would be the transition to season 2 (which I've seen will debut in 2024) and explain where she's been for 2 years. That said, I really loved the scenes with Young Woo and her brother and Young Woo and Attorney Jung this week. I enjoyed EAW more than I thought I would and have nothing but admiration for Park Eau Bin. I look forward to what stories they decide to tell with season 2, since we clearly haven't had enough of our extraordinary attorney(s).

Wow, that was one of the best endings I’ve ever seen a K-drama pull off. The show really became about Attorney Woo becoming independent and solving her own family issues in her own way. I loved how she told her dad that she shouldn’t have to live her life around someone who had never been there for her. Even Attorney Jung’s stomach cancer worked, stupid as it was, because it meant that Young-woo had to find her own way ahead.
I also loved how so many of the characters were not all bad or good. The Hanbada CEO wavered between seeing Young-woo as a tool and an independent lawyer, but she was willing to listen and let Young-woo have a chance to find a middle road in the end. Her mother at times treated her as the worst thing that happened to her and then at other times would get a smile hearing of one of her accomplishments. Although episodes 13-15 weren’t the best, I do feel like 16 could not have been much better.

Park Eun Bin was amazing, no surprise. Young Woo was radiant in the end. ♥ Loved how she matched the word fulfillment to her mood. I learned about the Season 2 news before watching the finale so I had expected major things could be left hanging. However, it wasn't too open-ended.

Attorney Jang was a crappy sunbae, but Young Woo's time with him was necessary to show a different situation for her at Hanbada. Not all attorneys are kind and considerate like Attorney Jung Myeong Seok. She bravely voiced her discovery to Attorney Jang despite him looking down on her. It was great to see Su Yeon and Min Woo bringing up Young Woo's point in court too.

I'm not sure if Tae Su Mi's son being part of the hacking was a good move or mighty convenient. I'm leaning towards the former since we didn't have to slog through the usual, heavy angst and public harassment. The show surprised me by not using the illegitimate child factor when they had dangled this potentially big bomb. I was prepared for the fallout.

The tropes of running away to the US or time skips were thankfully not utilized. I like that Young Woo is still a part of Hanbada and most importantly, that she wants to work there. Instead of starting her own law office, I'd like to see her growth and journey with this famous law firm since she's barely begun.

It's nice that the stories were not left with a dramatic end and yet, things were not left too neat. I'm glad that Soo Yeon and Min Woo were not automatically a couple in the final hour. His character has already been discussed and analyzed a lot in the previous recap. Still not smitten with him, but he improved a little.

I like that Jun Ho reminded Young Woo of all their past moments and activities and how he clearly said he was happy with her.

It's not clear if Myeong Seok will still be working for Hanbada. Hope he manages his work-life balance better. I just want him to be a main character in Season 2!

Hours before I saw the final episode, I saw things about there being a second season and a new love interest for Young Woo, effectively putting her in a love triangle so I went into the final episode in a state of confusion haha
But instead it was just as it's always been which was nice.

I don't get why there would be a need for a second season. Sure, there are definitely more stories that could be told but this was nice as it is; it had character development (for the most part) and it felt like the story they wanted to tell was told (for the most part)
Whatever; if they decide to do a second season, fine and if they don't, that's fine too.

I really like the mentor relationship Myeong-seok has with his juniors. I really liked that Young Woo seeks him out when she needs advice and I really liked the moment at the restaurant where everyone was relieved when she said she liked working at Habada. I like how everyone has grown to appreciate and value her perspective even her unfiltered honesty and logic.

Oh that jerk of a lawyer! Not only does he abandon them but he has the audacity to take the praise for the strategy that he kicked Young Woo off the case for but then he asked them if they reflected on their behavior when that's exactly what won their case! Oh I can't stand that.
It was really pleasing seeing him stuck every time the judge corrected him on something that he chastised Young Woo for correcting him on. A part of me wanted Young Woo to get mentored by that judge as well.

I don't even know how I feel about the Hanbada CEO. She "let her off easy"? She was being magnanimous by NOT torpedoing Young Woo's life just to get back at Tae Min? I mean Tae Min already stepped down from the candidacy and now it's shown that she and her family aren't flawless. What else does the Hanbada CEO need? I don't know, it just felt like she could just wait for another moment she felt slighted by Tae Min to use the Young Woo secret to hurt her. It didn't exactly feel like a chapter was closed for her but instead bookmarked. I could totally be wrong. I don't know.

I thought the casting was cool. Tan Min does look like she could be Young Woo's mom and the brother does look like he could be her brother. I liked the similarities among all three. I liked that Tae Min only allowed Young Woo to question the kid and I liked that he sought Young Woo out in the first place.

Despite the minor stumbling of the show in the latter half (to be fair, we are only so critical due to the high bar set by the earlier half), the ending is in my humble opinion, is close to perfect. Absolutely love that her final and most poignant achievement in the series is overcoming the revolving door alone, without anyone's help. So simple, yet so *fulfilling* indeed!

Now, about the potential season 2, I don't mind it. It's a beloved series, so fans will always be happy to get another chance to see our whale-loving heroine and her entourage on screen again. From a business standpoint, it would also be a capitalist crime not to seize this opportunity and turn it into a franchise. It would be a win-win situation. The series format makes it a no-brainer too since every episode involves a different case, so as long as the writers can come out with enough mini-story and a compelling overarching plot to further woo young woo's growth, this would be plausible.

However, I'm glad that the finale did nothing suggestive of this potential sequel, and our young woo completes her personal journey in full circle. So even if the sequel doesn't happen, at least the first season 1 will hold up nicely on its own; unlike Eun Bin's other drama Hello My Twenties, where I'm still hopelessly waiting for a third season to resolve some loose plot. Sigh.

Opening statement: Attorney Jang is bad at his work. I really don’t know how he managed to became a senior lawyer at Hanbada and I don’t want to say that he did so by kissing up the corporate ladder as that would invalidate any good work and efforts he’s done prior off-screen. Good thing CEO Han called him out on it.

Out of all the judges that came along in EAW, the judge who’s so interested in family lines, and the judge for the Raon case are my favorites. They both have this sharp legal mind despite their respective dramas. It was good for EAW showing that the things Young-woo pointed out like(pronunciation and all) that people might refer to as a result of her being on the spectrum, the judge pointed out the very same things. Youngwoo didn’t have to be on the spectrum to want things done right, to the perfect t. And it was the most classic way to deal with Attorney Jang treating her opinions as minimal(I’m trying so hard not to paint Jang’s behavior as …as he was). To think they won the case due to the closing Young-woo recommended. Tsk tsk tsk. To then think that he took all the glory for himself. Smh😒.

I was clear to me that the Raon case was a witch hunt case and indeed it was a witch hunt. But what I didn’t immediately realize was that it was internal. The moment Sang-hyeon mentioned In-cheol without the Mr Bae, I immediately knew the Co-CEO was the person behind the whole thing. I would have wanted them to show us more of the reason behind his actions.

A round of applause to Spring Sunshine Lady Su-yeon for her stand in the court. My only anger in the whole thing was Min-woo asking her to calm down only for him to complete the argument. Perhaps he did that because that’s the kind of person Su-yeon likes and Su-yeon expressly said so to him herself ' I like you. I expect people I like to stand up to what is wrong irrespective of whatever it is. It’s not everytime you have to put on the tactician robe '. He basically stole Su-yeon’s thunder.

If there’s a way for Attorney Jung to be with his ex and still practice as a lawyer, I’ll be happy. He clearly likes his ex as much as he likes his job.

Wooo! We made it!! I think I’m going to be echoing similar sentiments already mentioned, but here we gooooo…

1) Not sure how I’m feeling about a second season. ::sigh:: I was actually mad when they announced it, lol, because I was so sure it meant they were going to give us a cliffhanger. I was going to boycott watching the final episodes but here we are. So much for willpower and determination.

2) Although there was no cliffhanger and everything was relatively wrapped up the ending was kind of meh. They had too much going on with the romance, secret birth, second leads love line, supporting character near fatal illness and case of the week towards the end that nothing felt fully fleshed out.

3) Justice for the character that is Kwon Min-Woo. I feel like the writers didn’t really know what to do with him. His insecurities and cunning in the beginning all of a sudden took a weird plummet toward villainy only to be, just as suddenly 7-8 episodes later, given one line to explain his sappy reason for his descent into d-bag darkness. Then he has a complete personality change due to finding … love? This poor character. If they had just cut out all the ish in the middle episodes, given us his background and more firmly developed the foundations for the love line in the beginning, then we could have seen an interesting character struggling with his morals, pragmatism, desire to be successful and insecurities while catching feels for his co-worker.

4) I just wish they left out all the tropes. It could have been a much richer drama. I think it’s current success rests fully on the character of Woo Young-Woo and Park Eun-Bin acting the soul out of her body. It’ll be interesting to see what season 2 does.

Thanks @unit for recapping this drama. Even though some of the plotlines look rushed, I will rate it 8.5/10 because Woo Young Woo's journey was indeed fullfilling. I look forward to S2 and please production house, bring back the whole cast including Attorney Jang because I want Attorney Jung to put him in his place and make Jang to apologize to his subordinates, esp YW.

The ending was…not bad, and I suppose all in all it was as measured and as good an ending as we could have hoped for.

Was still a bit disappointed with the loose ends left behind, but I guess given the 16 episode limitation there was only so much they could do. Unfortunately they ended up using symbolic actions to tie up loose ends instead of really developing some plot points, so it couldn’t help but feel rushed.

Min-Woo’a character, for example. I know it’s an unpopular opinion but probably because the actors are good and have chemistry (and fine, let’s face it, are good-looking), the KMW-CSY ship started to grow on me. (On a side note, check out this interview of the 2 actors with English subs - they were really cute! https://youtu.be/zLY987YMnv8)

Unfortunately it still felt rather schizophrenic - I think Min-Woo trying to explain to Su-Yeon about how they couldn’t go around offending people like WYW the genius was actually really good, but to have Su-Yeon try to convince him to do the right thing because she’s into guys like that really made me go wtf.

I think him getting the courage to prevent Su-Yeon from being dropped from the case and finally standing up against his superior was pretty good, but then later we got his scene telling Tae Su-Mi it was the best time to get WYW to quit now…I didn’t really get that - if you decided that you wanted to do the right thing then why are you still giving her these details? I guess it was more to move the plot along and portray his struggle but it just wasn’t very well done. Hoped for more resolution for his character and more development but we unfortunately didn’t get much of that in the final episode.

Overall I think the cast for the drama was really good, and really grew on me and kept me going even if there were issues with the plot.

Wishing them every success and hope to see them all back for Season 2.

I loved everything in this drama!

Young-Woo's growth was the main theme. Every case let her grow as lawyer but human being too. She found a squad who let her being herself but teaches her how the society works too. She found love and it was really touching how she made the parallel with her father. The only question I have it's her will to be independant, it kinda disapeared suddenly and she went back to live with her father.

I think they portrayed very well her autism. Every people are different so they couldn't represent every people on the spectrum but with their client, they showed that Young-Woo was just one amongs others. PEB really did well. Her body language, her way to speak, she was perfect!

I really liked the introduction of her little brother who searched her for help. He never brought the autism subject with her. She was just his noona. I hope they will develop their relationship in the season 2.

For the rest, the characters and actors were really good.

For me, Min-Woo had a really interesting arc. He never was a big villain. He did bad things, but he wasn't evil. It's funny because he was more interesting than Lee Jun-Ho. They didn't give any plot to Jun-Ho. We know about his sister but otherwise, it always was about Young-Woo. I think Kang Tae-Oh was very lucky to get this role because he did very well the swoony part but he didn't have to act anything else...The director and PEB helped him for his scenes.

I liked how neither of the CEO were evil too. They were ambitious and smart but respected a certain limit.

I'm happy with the news of season 2 because it came after they ended the first one. They will have time to write it because of Kang Tae-Oh's army service.

Did it falter a bit in the last few episodes? Yes, like many a kdrama before. But nobody died and nobody went to Boston so I'll count that as a win. While they left some conflicts open it wrapped up just enough to count as a proper ending for those who wont watch season 2 (or if it never gets made). 

The end was actually better and more satisfying than I had feared after episodes 13 and 14. There are still some issues that have not been properly concluded, but perhaps this will be answered in a possible season 2.

At the end of episode 15, I thought the revelation that Tae Su-mi's son is the actual hacker was too simple a solution to avoid disclosing that Young-woo is Tae Su-mi's illegitimate daughter. But the more I saw Young-woo's half-brother and the similarities between the siblings, the more I liked the idea.

While it was cute how Young-woo and Jun-ho got back together and I'm happy for them too, I don't think their problems are really solved. They still have a long time to work on their relationship. Also, I would like to know more about Jun-ho.

It's good that Su-yeon and Min-woo didn't get together (yet). Because that really would have been too quick. Also, Min-woo's change needs to be more long-term and believable. The fact that his intrigues were not revealed suggests that this will be an issue in a possible second season.

Attorney Woo: An opinion in two parts.

Part 1: Love is blind and forgiving

Wherein I express my overall love for this show, Park Eun-bin and her amazing Woo Young-woo.

The way the show canvassed the spectrum of autism spectrum disorder and did not mistakenly attribute the female lead's savant qualities to autism generally. The way in which it sensitively portrayed both the benefits and challenges of being neurodiverse in a world that is built by and for the neurotypical and how it's fine to be a Narwhal in a pod of Belugas so long as some of the Belugas have your back.

The way in which it said that love and relationships were possible for somebody like Woo Young-woo without having to change who she is or conform to some romantic template.

The way in which the tone deaf "Boston" plan never eventuated and so Young-woo never went to be "cured" nor had her life uprooted by being transplanted to an entirely different culture and still be expected to function as an attorney and a person.

Essentially all the ways in which the show was delightful and heartwarming and extremely earnest.

For this, I have much love.

I'd 10/10 accept a spin-off about Attorney Jung restoring his work-life balance, perhaps opening his own firm, doing acapella with Geurami and Hairy Sajang, and glimpses of his unwitting comedic duo with YoungWoo, who would still be consulting him for advice--but hopefully not at 3am when Myungseokie needs to sleep.

On the actual show: The charm wore off in the second half. Interestingly, the director had already written the first 8 episodes before the writer joined for the remaining 8...might there be a correlation as pointed out by @laica?
Thinking back to the scene where Junho shows Youngwoo the whale picture in the conference room, I can't help but feel the team loss that quiet, assured direction of a story that knew its message and wasn't afraid to convey it, even if it might be lost on some.

Yes, it had it's weaknesses, as other Beanies have eloquently expressed, but it brought me my favourite boss ever and for that it will always have a place in my heart. The man is straight-up KIND and that is such a rare quality to have spotlighted in a boss. Atty Jung: may you find your perfect work-life balance, and may your noodles always have bounteous amounts of pork!

I appreciated the way everyone was left in the middle of growing - this may have simply been to make a Season 2 easier - but I felt it was very much in the spirit of things: people had moved on; people have further to go/develop/explore... Big smile on my face at that point.

And just *loved* how I learnt more about autism, how I was forced to think and reflect on assumptions, and how I appreciated the diversity in the world a little more at the end. So, here's to letting the weaknesses fall into forgetfulness and smiling at the delight that was this drama.

Easily the closest to a good ending I've seen in a long time, notwithstanding some wobbles. Thankfully, the main focus was not the romance (as much as I loved it) as it was on YW adapting to rapidly changing circumstances and background machinations. My favourite parts, YWs explanation of the breakup to JH. The interaction between YW and her half brother, in fact all the parts her brother appeared in, I wish he had been introduced earlier. YWs final chat with her mum, where she convinced her to let her son testify.
Wobbly bits(!), the redemption arc for MW, a bit too sudden and lacking depth. Plus the romance with spring sunshine, was that needed? I'm not sure.
In any case, this final episode left me smiling along with YW.
Thank you @unit, for the insightful weecaps!

This was the best ending that I’ve seen in a long time. It tied up all the story lines, and you could leave satisfied that although the show ended, you could still imagine these characters living on. I am looking forward to the next season. This show is hugely popular in the US right now. How do I know? This past week, I was seeing clinic patients and walked into one room with a middle-aged Midwestern woman watching Netflix. One guess what she was watching——THIS SHOW! I didn’t take long telling her I was watching it too and her mother was the person who apparently introduced it to her. She was on the confession episode where Jun-Ho was outside the revolving doors about to tell Young-woo he liked her. 😂 I did also like the importance the revolving doors took from a thematic and metaphorical reference. And it’s just such a pretty shot.

Dear @unit: the application of a knuckle to a certain forehead has already been mentioned but I'd like to add my appreciation for your in-the-moment comments sprinkled throughout. What?, Woah, Again What?, Sir? and Truck of Doom PTSD is real y'all, Phew!.
Made me feel I was re-watching alongside you. Thanks for your great work on and love for this quirky dramady.

By the end of the finale, my heart was swelling with love and pride for our Atty Woo💗

After skimming the comments I have concluded that I have been a less critical viewer than most. Portraying shades of gray is what this drama excelled at, and I'm very happy almost none of the characters were black or white - even our heroine tripped over her morals occasionally! I didn't hate Min-woo or Tae Su-mi, because I felt like the drama didn't hate them either - it merely showcased a myriad of people Young-woo has and will encounter in her life. Some Belugas will have your back from day one, some won't... and some will come around.

I enjoyed the portrayal of autism and I feel like I've learned a lot - I'm definitely more interested in finding out more. I know widespread discrimination against neurodivergent folks still exists, but I hope one day we will also live in a world where people with autism can work, love, live and be fulfilled without prejudice.

If I had one gripe with the show, it's that I wish they spent a little more time on Jun-ho. By the end he was, annoyingly, a little too perfect. He made my heart swoon, but he didn't make my brain swoon. I wished they'd given him some juicy moral dilemmas. Maybe in S2?

Park Eun-bin's portrayal has been lauded time and time again. My humble contribution is that Lady Gaga quote/meme: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, sh*t on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

When Young-woo was happy, I was happy. I hope we see each other again in 2024, Youngwoo-ya 🥺

Yes, this show was a gem, and I enjoyed every moment I spent watching it. The finale did the tone and themes of the show justice, but left me wanting just a little bit more on some fronts. At the same time, it stayed true to its goal, which was to give us a peek into part of one woman's life as she came into her own both personally and professionally. So I can only commend the writing for telling an engaging, moving, often funny, and ultimately very satisfying story.

That said, I was a little disappointed in the resolution of Min-woo and Su-yeon's mini-arc. Clearly, the writer felt she needed more of an impetus for Min-woo's growth than him eventually learning to respect Young-woo as an attorney and a human being with an emotional landscape similar to his own. His attraction to Su-yeon and desire to impress her was obviously supposed to supplement growth on that front. But it would have been better if those feelings had been shown more gradually from the start, and that Su-yeon's feelings had also started earlier OR that they were shown to clearly lead somewhere unambiguously romantic in the last episode. Instead, focusing so much on those feelings in three episodes and then basically ignoring them in the finale seemed clumsy to me, especially since the writer overall made very few stumbles.

I also didn't care for Attorney Jang's 11th hour prominence because unlike every other character, he was purely a caricature of the arrogant, sexist, ableist sunbae.

I did ultimately love Young-woo's relationship with Jun-ho. Their conflicts were very realistic, and handled with care and respect. I think it's also obvious that these two didn't fully resolve anything with the cat talk, and that they will continue to have the same struggles with communication. Jun-ho will be lonely, and Young-woo will have difficulty considering his feelings. To that end, I wondered if it was worth putting them (and us!) through that last minute breakup if the show was only going to nod at the big issues between them and then move on. But after watching that final scene--with Young-woo expressing fulfillment to Jun-ho and him understanding exactly what that meant for her--I couldn't really argue with any choices the writer made.

Finally, I was surprised at how much I liked how the show resolved the mother arc. Introducing a half-brother, and giving him a satisfying arc in just one episode, was the perfect way to give some closure without blowing up the lives of so many characters.

I think a second season could be good (they need to wait for Kang Tae-oh to finish military service first, though!) because this writer is talented enough to pull that off. But I also want to cherish and protect this feeling of discovering and relishing a true gem as it aired.

An overall satisfying ending. I love how episode 16 had callbacks to the first episode and being able to see how far Young-woo had come. This has been a warmhearted and charming ride with some of the most interesting cases in kdramas. And then intertwining that with Young-woo's growth as an attorney and as a person. It's just masterfully done!

There were some stumbles in recent weeks, but it's good to know that even great writers and great dramas have their last quarter kdrama stumble.

There were some loose ends that I think they just didn't have enough time to address, like Minwoo's sudden turnabout, Young-woo and Junho clearing the air (a few quick words before she runs off on a time-sensitive mission is too little), and the deal with Hanbada's CEO. I loved this drama, but am iffy about a second season (I'm not sure if they can live up to the first), but I think this drama could have gone on another 2 episodes to flesh out the things set this season (unlike a certain Mon-Tues drama that turns out to be 18 episodes long - why?!).

It was a deft move having Attorney Woo’s brother revealed as the hacker .
Min woo’s character though, was a mess. His plotting and animosity towards Woo was out of place in this “romance personal growth law drama “ and was more of the “ evil chaebol revenge corporate law drama “ level of deviousness.
The characters of Hairy & Dong Geu-ra-mi could have been fleshed out a bit more. All in all I enjoyed the show.

My wife and I really loved EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO. It was a fabulous show. It was an extraordinary show to the end.

Most legal shows leave me cold. Part of the reason this one did not is that they got the law right even if it was often in a highly simplified fashion. The writer also got many of the ethical dilemmas faced by lawyers right and even showed some of the things that any lawyer needs to experience in order to truly become ‘skilled in the law’: Many people did not like episode five that much, but it was exactly one of those experiences that have to happen before Young-woo could truly become a real lawyer- and thus a very necessary part of her story. In his last episode we saw an illustration of that ethical problem known as “Who is my real client here?”. Yes, we got the correct answer to that question.

Like unit, I was disappointed that we never got any explanation for the feud between Woo-young’s mom and her boss really all about and from whence did it spring? This has been our favorite show and I actually hope that we see a second season and delving into this mystery would be a good reason for it.

Min-woo sudden maturation did not bother me one bit- his jerkiness was just a symptom and result of his desperation over his family circumstances. Meeting our Miss Spring Sunshine gave him the courage to abandon a bad attitude that did not make him any happier than it made anybody else. Besides, if we do get a second season, we get to see the story of the Princess and the Pauper- not just the wooing of Su-yeon but the necessary struggle for him to be accepted by her family. Another good reason for a second season.

Also arguing for a second season is the need to explore this new relationship that Young-woo has with an unexpected sibling, starting with the ethics of her representing him in the criminal matter. Because you can be sure that he will insist on that.

I loved this! Of course there were some flaws but overall, it was great. Definitely one of my top dramas this year.

Loved everything about this drama except these two lines:
1. " I like guys who are like that." - Choi Su-yeon in Ep 15
2. "I'm going to try living like a fool." - Kwon Min-woo in Ep 16
I was ok with where it was going with Min-woo and Su-yeon but not as thrilled that they made it out like "she" was the reason for the change when I initially thought she just made him "reflect". But maybe it's just me. 😅

And I was so happy with the finale, that eventhough was hoping for a Whale Couple wedding (even after a time-jump hahaha), I knew the drama isn't about that and that it's still early on in the relationship and they are still young. Thank you for not giving fan service in that end coz we can look forward to that in S2 😉

PLUS I am so grateful that even if we only had a few minutes for our whale couple in the finale, they ended it with them .. at the revolving door where they first met. 🥰

I loved this drama!!! Yes, it had it's weaknesses- I agree about Min-woo s horrible treating of our heroine going unaddressed-big weakness! I am in the camp of wanting more backstory for Jun-ho- why would a popular, normal guy be so extraordinarily kind to YW & know exactly what to do when she need him? Also, the CAT thing- really? That was not enough of a reason, and I would LOVE to see Season 2 explore him a bit more, develop the brother-sister relationship that was begun with the half brother, Jun-ho meet Dad, and the reason for the two CEO's animosity such that they would use YW as a ping pong-awful! So much more to develop- Here's to Season 2- I need more of Young Woo!!!!

I am ignoring the Min Woo stuff and accepting the finale as satisfying. (Min Woo's character issues... well, that's a tangled web of nonsense I don't have time to untangle.) It was especially rewarding considering that two other dramas I am watching now are about to end, and I have very low expectations on those finales (Alchemy of Souls and Cafe Minamdang). I did not take great offense to the cat-love conversation, I mean, yes WYW is not a cat. Obvs. But I think Jun Ho being able to express what he is thinking in a metaphor that she can easily understand was good. He's telling her that he knows she will sometimes make him feel lonely/unappreciated, but he's still "in" because she makes him happy in general. He's open to accepting her as she is, and that's the point. You can't change a cat any more than you could (or should) change WYW. I thought it was sweet, and when she took it up and responded as she did that was also sweet and effective communication to him - I understand, even if I cannot change, but I still have the ability to love you back. I agree with earlier posters that it seems odd that Jun Ho has not yet met her dad, who is such a close part of her life, but I suppose it was not necessary to get us to the end of this chapter in their story. I like that there are question marks around Atty Jung's future plans - not everything needs to be pinned down and mapped out to end his chapter. He himself is not sure what he will do moving forward, why should we all know? I liked the line about her brother (I mentioned bringing him in weeks ago, hoping he would side with/like his sister to his mother's frustration)... it was poetic justice to see him also being on the spectrum. Frankly, I'm glad he cost his mom the ministry job, even if as as side effect rather than a direct sabotage.

Overall, this was a pretty and pleasant drama which was funny and poignant and will be on my (admittedly, kind of long) list of favorites for a while.

Might be late at the recap party, but 1st let me thank Unit for the weecaps each week!

Also for the beanies & their insights about the story & the characters, most especially for those who shared a part of their own stories, big Thank YoU!

EAW will go down as one of my favorites, for the simple fact that it's life-affirming. As Woo Young Woo, Park Eun Bin was amazing 🥰 will continually follow her career as she makes different choices to master her craft!

The rest of the cast were excellent as well. It's my 1st time to see Kang Ki Young in a non-comedic role 😀 he usually plays the uncle or friend for laughs, but credit to him for being a credible sunbae. I didn't mind the cancer story coz it brought out the ex-wife, Lee Yoon-Ji, would luv to see more of her in dramas!

I also didn't mind that the lovestory wasn't front & center, but just part of Yoong Woo's personal journey. The 2nd half of the drama had enough legal cases so YW can grow professionally. I appreciate the writer's observations in life or slight social commentary like the busy schedule of young students, the idealistic attorney that handled the gender discrimination case & the monk's response as to why they were asking for entrance fees (to keep people away, a slight dig on over tourism 😉).

I would luv a 2nd season only if they can get the whole cast back. The writer can develop back stories for hairy boss, I think his restaurant only exist for WYW! I want to find out if Min Woo & Su Yeon can last 😉 and most especially to see WYW get married 🤗

Here's to hoping we see more kdramas like this, a heartwarming tale of a lead who's determined to learn how master the rotating door & realize that she's fulfilled, or should I dare say accomplished!!!

I'm 100% sure that Jun Ho figured out that Tae Su Mi was her mother. He's an investigator after all.

For some reason, I was expecting Atty. Jung to quit Hanbada and start his own private practice and that revelations about the circumstances of WYW's birth would lead to her quitting Hanbada and joining Atty. Jung. Shows you how much I know. haha!

Just finished this drama--loved it! Great characters and arcs, interesting case story lines and a little romance, too. Seems there were enough open threads to have a second season! I waited to watch this, as it seems that having an autistic character is trendy in Kdramas....BUT, this drama was so engaging and entertaining that I wish I had watched it sooner.

I really liked the way the relationship and romance between a "disabled" person and a "normal" person. There were discussions and even a court case about the issues around it. This really made the premise of the romance of the main character believable (except the "idiocracy" fake break-up arc).

The review is correct: we viewers wanted more, even a hint, of the rivalry between the the two CEO attorneys. And, I personally wanted Attorney Woo's co-workers to acknowledge her biological mother. It did not take away from the drama, rather, it could have enhanced it.

Overall, this is another one of those dramas where the premise and description aren't that appealing but it really is a "ten!"

Thank you @unit for another great recap! You are right, TOD PTSD is real!!!

I just discovered notes on my phone and realized I'd never added them to comments when I'd finished watching EAWYW last year, so here they are.

I really enjoyed this show, it now resides in my list of top favorites. Park Eun Bin is amazing!! I have sought more of her performances.

I love Jun Ho!! Green flag. Unwaveringly supportive and accepting. He does not need to be complicated or have conflict to be interesting. (He does need to be Kang Tae Oh, though!!) I hope season 2 writers do not create some elaborate backstory for LJH. It will be enough to get to know his family better, work through their thoughts and potential prejudices against WYW. Also reevaluate his friendships: who cares about and trusts him to be willing to get to know Young Woo beyond first appearances? And which ones are no longer true friends? Something simple for his story would be super. (Hello Writers, are you reading this?) Perhaps Jun Ho's sister, any other siblings, and one of their parents are all immediately set against WYW. Then the other parent reveals that they had a friend/cousin/relative years ago with whom they were very close, and that person was on the spectrum. That person moved away, but Jun Ho spent a lot of time as a little boy with this parent and the friend and is thus understanding and comfortable with people who have idiosyncrasies. Done. No angst, death/birth secrets, noble idiocy, forced separations, etc. etc.

I also loved: Sunshine's honest kindness; loving and patient dad; wonderful boss Myeong Seok; and long time friend Geu Rami who really"gets" Young Woo. I would be ok with a redemption story for Min Woo, but only if they include him recognizing and correcting for his awful unethical actions in EAWYW 1.

As a cat lover (see my DB name! 😺), I understand and appreciate the cat analogy. Similar to ASD, many people don't understand cats and their unique way of communicating. Dogs are openly expressive and thus easy for people to understand. Cats also love their human family - not just anecdotal, research studies have demonstrated this! - but cats are more reticent and people aren't always able to interpret their behavior. A cat's affection is subtle. An eye blink, a slow approach, a purr, a cheek rub. A person with autism may also show affection in a different way - not with hugs, hand holding, or flirty glances but with subtlety. Young Woo doesn't find excuses to touch Jun Ho or give him compliments or gifts like the other women at Hanbada, but she does tell him she thinks about him like her beloved whales, she waits for him to arrive at work, she peers at him from her office window. The analogy is that Jun Ho accepts and cares for Young Woo for who she is rather than expecting her to behave like others. She's a cat in a dog's world and that's ok with him.

As a special education teacher and parent of a young adult on the spectrum, when I...