That was a fast recap @lovepark . Thanks!
I did not watch Ep 2 as the premiere episode was neither funny nor heartwarming as per the drama genre. Looks like I have to stay away because I am not in the mood for revenge story or even bits of it laced with mystery through a "slice of life" story. Maybe if they had opened straight away to the ML having a mind of a child and showing his mom's hardship/neighbours caring nature, it would have grabbed me, but the way it started did not evoke any emotions except for the cute pig animation.

I did not watch ep 2 yet. I wasn’t sure what to make of it after episode 1. The way she was harsh felt a little too drastic of a change for someone who seemed like a warm person.
Also, with him telling her that he will end up like the bad guys and him actually working for the bad corporation made for a lukewarm twist or not. Looks like ep 2 will clarify this further.

I quite liked the teen love story. They both were adorable in those little moments. I hope that sweet kid is still there inside him after he grows up.

Will watch ep 2 this weekend and then decide if I want to continue or not.

"Healing" dramas are not my thing and there is only reason I have paid attention to this drama - my favorite k-drama actor is Yoo In Soo (Bam sik). So, I've been watching all of the teasers, trailers, reading the character descriptions, etc.

There are several more flashbacks coming, at a minimum with Bam Sik and Mi-ju , primarily of the years between when he left Jourri and now (the accident).

After 2 episodes, I will keep watching. Mainly for In-soo but I'm also enjoying the village dynamics with all of the parents and other assorted people. The romance between Kang-Ho and Mi-ju? Meh.

Those episodes were definitely a lot, but I’m glad they went through the setup quickly so that we can get to the bulk of the story. I really enjoyed the little windows into our characters’ lives, and I think they did a lot of heavy lifting to show us how they each react to things and interact with each other.

Young-soon is honestly so delusional. I don’t know how she can abuse her son his whole life and then expect things to be fine between them when he’s an adult. I’m amazed that she could be so cold to him, even as a little kid. The Village Head even said that she is a great person, except to her son. It was really heartbreaking to see her so loving to him before he was born and then so awful to him afterward.

I don’t believe that Kang-ho killed that woman and her baby. He’s not on a great path but I don’t think he would go that far, and it would be much harder to redeem him later if what we saw on the surface ends up being what actually happened. Plus, it’s not like he’s 100% on board with his new “father” or he would have shown him the cell phone full of evidence. I’m a little bit unsure of how much he knows about Woo-byeok and Tae-soo, and how much they know about him. Young-soon didn’t really know anything at the time of her husband’s murder, so there’s no way she could have passed on info (even if she and Kang-ho were on speaking terms) about Tae-soo, and it’s not like she knows anything about her son’s life so she wouldn’t have known to warn/tell him about Woo-byeok. So I’m not sure whether to chalk it up to dramaland coincidence or Kang-ho’s careful investigating. I’m sure we’ll find out at some point.

There is backstory and then there is BACKSTORY, this gave the latter. So let the flashbacks and heartwarming begin.

I've watched only the first episode, and although I hate to admit this, I was surprised at just how dark and melodramatic this show is. (What was I thinking? A 2023 kdrama actually being lighthearted? I should star as the male lead in a show entitled "This Fan is a Fool").

That said, I did appreciate the show highlighting how, outside of the athletes and the great sporting spectacle, the Olympics is often a horrible event, hurting regular people in the host country as it allows political leaders to preen on the international stage. I looked it up, and South Korea's dictator at the time, Chun Doo Hwan did use gangs and thugs to force the relocation of hundreds of thousands of poor citizens. So that was accurately portrayed.

What I didn't like is the degree to which the show played into the classic kdrama "blame the ambitious Mom for destroying their son's/daughter's childhood" theme, as if Kang Ho had no choice but turn to the dark side because of his mother. (I'm saying this even though as I read the synopsis of episode 2, thanks @lovepark, it seems to me likely that Kang Ho has not really turned as evil as he appears, but is engaged in a kind of revenge plot against the elites.) But if he is in fact currently on the side of corrupt bad guys, does that mean we have to root for him becoming brain-damaged and childlike in the accident? So in the end the Mom has to take care of him the rest of her life as a revenge on her revengeful ambition?

In any case, I'm going to depend on Dramabeans for a few more episodes before I commit myself further to 16 hour long dark/revenge/morally ambiguous story. I'd just as soon spend the time on youtube videos of cute piglets frolicking in the field!

This was darker and more tragic than I anticipated, but it also captured my interest a lot more than the trailers (which seemed too whimsical and silly for my liking) indicated. Overall, I found the first episode to be very immersive and promising, although I had to take a break before watching the second (which I plan to do tonight) because the story was more draining than I expected.

As a mother of a son, I did have a hard time with Jin Young Soon's parenting, even though the show clearly showed her motivations and the reasons behind them. I was also a little surprised that she continues to believe that her husband committed suicide; I assumed she'd figure out he was murdered, and that would be what fueled her desire for her son to become a prosecutor. It works either way, I guess, and the story needed for that prosecutor to be both corrupt and convincing in his lies for the rest of the plot to work.

Whenever I see Lee Do-hyun in a drama, I have the same reaction as I do when I see Lee Jae Wook in a new project: I already know that both of them are very talented, but I'm still impressed with how quickly they both become the character they're playing. And he and Ahn Eun-jin did a lot with very little air-time together, so I'm interested in seeing how their relationship develops.

Finally, I like the extended metaphor/theme of never eating to the point where you're full. I don't have much to say about it at this point, but there's something equally poignant and frustrating about it that grabbed me.

This opening was quite DARK. The saying 'you reap what you sow' really applies here. Although I'm of opinion that in the same vain that you cannot in every case put the blame solely on a parent when a child goes awry. As much as a child is not obliged to forgive a bad parent just because they raised them. The road to healing and undoing the wrong is going to be very long. So grateful that they got the backstory over with in the first week. This way the villagers can be introduced properly from behind their (in)visible masks.
Thanks for the recap!

Thanks @lovepark for the weecaps. I was very impressed with the pacing of the first two episodes in terms of the amount of information provided. I think there are fake outs and Kangho’s long game looks really bad but I do think over the rest of the drama we will see other elements play out to show that things were not as they first appeared. I did marvel at the extent of Youngsoon’s restrictions of all things pleasurable and wondered whether there will be other elements that will be revealed for Youngsoon too.
The village chief’s wife use of face masks in public was a strange image to portray and that and her worst case scenario stories ‘joke’ had run thin very quickly for me. I also wondered about the Samshik character, as locking someone in a cupboard was just wrong and he seemed to have continued to be a bad character to the extent he was doing prison time as an adult.

I agree the lorry hitting a parked car in broad daylight on an empty road was too suspicious and I don't think they expected him to have anyone else in the car so Hayoung had a very lucky escape.
Although I don’t usually like dark dramas I really liked the way this drama has started it is not a light and fluffy watch at this point but we can see where that will come in so I look forward to seeing what comes next.

it's my fault for not reading anything about this drama before and just going by the names and the poster, but I was so surprised by how dramatic and kinda dark these first two episodes were lol I was sure it would be more like a comedy, slice of life, maybe dramatic like our blues were, but not in this revenge, politics, power and money thing. maybe if I adjust my expectations, I could get on board, but for now... its not my thing.

If the murder of the mother and baby was a fake out , it was still horrific to witness. Once again, I was completely deluded by the brief descriptions and the preview clips. I didn’t expect that he would be portrayed for real or otherwise as a corrupt and immoral prosecutor who becomes a murderer. I wrongly had assumed he had become an inflexible but ethical prosecutor who had been emotionally scarred and distanced from his mother. I should’ve known that was a naive assumption.

I don’t know if I like it or not yet but I’m definitely invested! I didn’t have many expectations going in, but I given LDH’s track record I was expecting some kind of angsty melodrama regardless of what the drama tags were, and that what it seems like it’ll be. I don’t really mind though (for now), yes we’ve had a whole host of melodramas recently but honestly I’d watch Lee Do-hyun paint a wall at this point, I’ve missed seeing him on screen (The Glory proved too much for me, I couldn’t do it, even for him).

Somehow though at the end of the premier week the only question occupying my mind is who’s the father of Mi-joo’s kids (2521 2.0 anyone)?? Might be someone random but if it is Kang-ho 👀 My brain can't compute any of the other revenge/scheming/lawyer stuff so no comments there for now.

Our boy, Lee Do-hyun, has a knack for portraying complicated feelings; that alone is enough for me to tune in. But we have also Ra Mi-ran one of my favorite characters from Reply 1988. Cast-wise, all actors are slaying it.

There is also the dilemma where we can sympathize with YOung-soon during the adoption scene. While we can't say Kang-ho is wrong either. She suffocated him throughout his life. I can't forget the scene during high school days when she didn't let him blow out the candles or eat his birthday meal as he already ate kimbap! So it isn't surprising he refuses to eat with her. Is she acting as a caring mother only now after he became a prosecutor? Too late

Kang-ho's revenge plan was so satisfying to watch unfold. Charming Prosecutor Oh's daughter so she falls for him, hook, line and sinker, then breaking up with her so she begs for him back. I have faith that Kang-ho did not kill the mistress and baby because he pushed the car with his bare hands as a prosecutor, knowing full well that his fingerprints would be on it.

I wouldn't go as far as to say Young-soon deserved Kang-ho's coldness, but she had to have expected it after her treatment of him his whole life. Young-soon throwing a celebration party with the villagers' help was so fake when she has no relationship with her son.

I felt so sorry for Kang-ho growing up and was so glad when the show revealed that he and Mi-joo were dating because she was the only light in his life. Sigh of relief that Mi-joo is still feisty, but I did not expect her to have twins.

I knew that something bad would happen to Hae-shik as soon as he refused to demolish his farm. I teared up when he broke down, "My pigs are dying in there! Even pigs don't deserve to die like this!" Thank goodness the mother pig survived after Young-soon moved her to their storage. I truly hope that Young-soon doesn't believe that her husband really committed suicide.

The show gaslighted me into believing all the villagers were good people when everyone helped Young-soon deliver her baby until we learned that Mi-joo's father abuses his wife and Sam-shik is a bully. No wonder the little twerp is in prison.

A big thanks for the recap, @lovepark!

I guess I just miss Jo Jin-woong in a drama, so sad it is just special appearance. I hope his restless soul can reincarnate as detective in Signal 2!
And I just ❤️ Lee Do-hyun and his sparks while acting.

Without any expectations or prior knowledge (I didn't watch a trailer), I watched the first two episodes and can't wait for the next two episodes to finally be released. I have to admit, I liked the atmosphere and would have no problem if it continues to be dark.

Also, I am convinced that ML knows exactly what role the two men played in his father's life. I'm sure he deliberately sought contact with them to get revenge.

The first two episodes were actually very fast paced. Some how it explained the dynamics between the mother and son. This is like a background story and then we are off to a start of revenge and healing. I like the ML and I think he is a good actor. The mum is also pretty good too. The acting of the rest of the cast such as the villagers were interesting. We know who are the villains and I am curious to know what happen to the the mother and son and how is he going to execute his plan of revenge. I think overall the drama started off on a good note. Hope the series will get better and then give us a plot twist later on.

I've only watched episode 1 so far (because corruption stories are hard for me. It makes me hate humanity). But from the first episode, I liked the set up and I liked some of the humor. It's not laugh out loud funny but chuckle worthy to me but I was confused by some things such as was did the husband give his bankbook to the prosecutor? Does Young Soon really believe her husband commited suicide? Does Kang Ho know he's working for the people who dealt with his father? Did she seriously think her son would be warmly receptive towards her after the way she raised him? I guess in her mind she thought "he will understand it was for his own good" and "I made him into the man he is so he will appreciate that". For what reason did Mi Joo's father say he was "practicing" his reaction when he didn't even stay for the birth?! He just completely lost interest once he realized he had another daughter? And then on top of that, he was abusive? Sigh, it's so hard seeing people in these types of relationships.

When she said she put out the items for his first birthday, all I think was that seemed so Avatar: The Last Airbender haha. The avatar choosing one of his past live's objects was one of the ways the new avatar was discovered. My next thought was if he had chosen the mic, she would've forced him to be an idol or trot singer?

Ahhh, the pettiness of people. Bullying someone because your crush likes him and/or because they have what you lack. I get it but oh how frustrating it to watch and putting yourself in the recipient's shoes, it's so annoying and exhausting to deal with.

I already don't (typically) eat pork, this show made me not want to eat it even more haha. Oh, this made me want to be a vegetarian haha

I decided to watch it because it is getting hype on tiktok. But to be honest I really didn't enjoy the first episode and the second episode, well I haven't finished it yet. I paused midway but I'll go back to it tonight. Someone told me to watch all the 4 episodes before deciding whether to drop it or not. And maybe I will. Since this and My Perfect Stranger are the only dramas I'm watching right now. I hope it fits to my liking soon.

I just started this drama yesterday. Episode 1 was promising and I had easily binge-watched 4 episodes. (And will continue watching after catching up on the recaps 😊.)

Lee Do-hyun is easily climbing my Favorite Actors list. He is a brilliant actor. I like that he is very expressive. I am impressed with his micro expressions. I especially liked his acting on the coming-home-with-fiancée scene. From his on-point expressions to the way he moved his body to walk out of the scene, it was all subtle (not screaming actions) but gives you all the feels.

And that writing of “bad mom” in the form was heart-wrenching. The child actor playing young LDH was so convincing especially with his soft, angelic face. My heart aches for him.

My husband said this is too sad for a comedy.. i love the messages i am quite sure he will overcome.. so i am going to keep watching.. only watched two so far.. i love dramas with good messages.. also loved Going to HEaven also Hi Bye Mama.. cried during some of it but well that to me is a good show.. We dont learn from watching fluff although i like to do that sometimes.. not much.. Also liked MAd for each other. comedy.. i hate american made stuff.. to fluffy...

SHOULD I DROP THIS OR NOT?

MY REACTION to KANG HO’s character in the first two episodes: It’s so dark that I wanted to drop the series, but I might decide to finish it though. I’m intrigued enough as to what his motivations are and what will happen after that accident at the end of Episode 2.

OH TAE SOO (prosecutor in Ep 1 and now an Assemblyman running for president) hasn’t aged a bit since before KANG HO was still unborn up to now that KH is a prosecutor. That's a span of 30 YEARS!!! They should’ve at least given him some grey hair or wrinkles. 🙄

OMG Ra Mi Ran. Crazy acting.