So this week we had an episode that moved the momentum (episode 9) and a mostly filler episode (episode 10). And your girl ain’t complaining one bit. I’ve pretty much given up on Young-soon so her not listening to Kang-ho for the millionth time didn’t bother me much.

But oh boy Kang-ho Kang-ho Kang-ho you cheeky little…I see what you’re doing mate!

One of the big questions I have is that much of the ‘recovery’ focused on the physical. But why aren’t they also focusing on his intelligence? At this point in the drama, ain’t no way Kang-ho is mentally a seven year old. Dude is too slick for that.

He was definitely fucking with the villagers and his mother on those blind dates LOL. Kang-ho is playing along, and I do still believe his naive nature but he is so using it to his advantage. The drunk scene just confirmed my suspicions. Those looks of uh huh suuuure and yeah handcuffs for a ring sounds about right, when he fully knows what the jewellery was for.

Literally going to the police station, saying it was a gift and that Sam-sik was his sexy fiancé was GOLD!

I don’t think he has the intelligence of an adult yet, but I’m guessing about an early teenager?

Mi-joo finally getting the screen time she deserves! Ahn Eun-jin absolutely nails (pun intended) her character! She’s so smart and understanding. Being able to read between the lines, but now it’s her time to SHINE. Watching her emotional turmoil over leaving her children, and understanding her choice not to tell Kang-ho to now watching her be brave and refusing to be pitied. She’s fierce as hell but why why did we have to end on a cliffhanger?!!

I’m gonna be an anxious wreck for the next week! Pls no sudden fainting from Young-soon or Chairman Song suddenly appearing. Don’t fuck with me show, give me and what the audience DESERVES!

Mi Joo, Mi Joo, Mi Joo. She is the star of this drama for me. Her empathy, grit, and love is just the best. That kiss between Kang Ho and Mi Joo was really sweet.

Sigh, she is the worst mother in the world, what in God's name possessed her to burn everything, why? My goodness, I just cannot. She should be begging her son for forgiveness and not thebother way around. Also her trying to marry off her son to unsuspecting women is the height of grossness. Ughdhdb

@lovepark love your analysis about how both Young-soon and Kang-ho not only exhibit self destructive behaviour but hurt the people around them because they think they know “better”. That’s why part of me always felt Mi-joo deserves better! But I can’t deny their sparking chemistry and Kang-ho’s amnesia is his second chance to rectify his mistake, as well as for Mi-joo to get her answers and choose.

The revelations of the last two episodes did not offer any big surprises, but rather confirmed exactly what I had long suspected. Kang-ho is the father of the twins and he broke up with Mi-joo because he didn't want to endanger her in his quest for revenge. Also, I never believed that he had actually killed the mother and her baby.

I didn't find the scene with Sam-shik in the police station particularly touching, I was too annoyed with Sam-shik for that. Because he clearly visited Kang-ho and got him drunk because he wanted to take advantage of his momentary mental weakness to get the jewellery.

What was disappointing was how readily Kang-ho forgave his mother. While I can understand why she became like that because of her past, it doesn't excuse how she raised and now treats her son.

However, I still enjoy the drama, especially because of the scenes between Mi-joo and Kang-ho. I don't expect her to get around to revealing that Kang-ho is the father of her children next week. Probably Kang-ho will get his memory back before then and realise it himself.

I'm glad for the confirmation even though we all knew he was their father. That's one thing I definitely missed this week: seeing Kang Ho & the twins. It's cute seeing their awe of him and I kinda do wonder how they would react to knowing he's their dad. I kinda imagine Seo Jin being like "he's the horrifying bastard?🫤" haha

Ah, Kang Ho & Young Soon's relationship is so complicated. It was bittersweet how he came to understand her but that also meant being cruel to her. It's weird that for both of them, their efforts of protecting or loving each other is to be cruel or cold. I liked the moment when Kang Ho defended himself and asked why he couldn't he just do this one thing after everything he's done to appease her despite how scary or hard it was for him.

Mi Joo's mom's reaction reminds me of any case when I've seen parents support something in theory but not when it affects their child. I get it and I can imagine a part of her only saw the endless hardship and/or teasing that was in store for her daughter and grandkids with the reveal but yeah, that's still what came to mind.

I had weird mixed feelings about her buring all that evidence. As always, I totally got where she was coming from but then a part of me thought of how much he had gone through to get that and now it went up in smoke. Plus of course, wasn't that stuff what was keeping him alive because the thug chairman wanted to find evidence on the corrupt presidential hopeful? But I totally get it and it does change things a bit that he no longer has that stuff from his past. I'm glad he was able to hold on to his ID. He worked so hard and gave up so much for it.

What is the point of Sam Sik?! He's a loser criminal, he's a simp for Mi Joo, and then tried to scam an unwell person. Maybe it's due to the actor or maybe it's because he's not 100% malicious or evil (especially compared to the real villains) so he's not really hateable but I'm still don't know why he's needed. Was it for the undercover henchmen to have a connect in the town? Sidenote: I really like the genuine newbie henchman haha. I knew he would become the mask and a part of me wants him to not have to go down with the other villains. Let him to work on the farm and grow his lettuce. His rapport with the other henchman is fun too because he's though he's more of the straight man, his frustration is funny. Like he knows he's in a life or death situation but he's also stuck in this surreal farming cosplay haha

I liked Mi Joo's directness with Young Soon and I liked that Young Soon was finally able to tell someone. It probably makes her situation feel even more real but I think it's help she needed because despite their complicated history, Mi Joo is probably the only one who could or would look out for Kang Ho the way he needs or in a way that would let Young Soon feel content that her son is in good hands. I don't know how or when it would be revealed about the kids'...

First, wasn't there a twist with the mistress and she a) killed her child and b) didn't go to the Philippines? Or did I misunderstand the end tag of ep. 9?

I agree with your analysis of the show, lovepark, even though I've found myself just a bit more empathetic to Young-soon as time has gone on. It's not that I don't recognize her abuse as abusive, because I do; at the same time, I understand why she's acting the way she is, and life has been very unkind to her as well. Does that excuse her behavior towards Kang-ho? No. (Her burning his drawings was so incredibly cruel, just to pick one example of many.) But I've known women like this, who understand on one level that their behavior may rightly be perceived as mean, controlling, and traumatic, but who keep falling back on those same behaviors time and again because they believe it's the easiest, most expeditious way to protect their child and ensure their happiness.

The backstory between Mi-joo and Kang-ho wasn't really surprising except for two parts. First, that Mi-joo was that close to the friend who ultimately betrayed her, which makes that betrayal even more devastating. Second, I'm not sure I bought that Mi-joo would believe that Kang-ho would ultimately come back to her and that's why she didn't tell him about the twins. I mean, I know that's the explanation the writers are giving us, but I have a hard time accepting it. Pregnancy is long, uncomfortable, and both physically and emotionally exhausting. Plus, Korea isn't exactly accepting of single mothers. Add to that the fact that Kang-ho broke Mi-joo's heart and made her feel used, and I have a hard time accepting that she decided to lovingly support him by staying away while he did whatever he needed to do. It just doesn't ring true to me generally, or based on what I know about Mi-joo as a character.

But all that said--and putting aside continued annoyance with many of the side characters (Sam Shik is a total cartoon, and not in an endearing way)--I still really like this show, and am looking forward to all the reveals to come.

There is something seriously wrong with young soon’s thinking process. It’s one thing to say “don’t look for revenge. Live happily”. But how does burning the only leverage you have over the bad guys protect you from them? Why does she decide “I know the right answer to everything”? UGGGHHH
Kang Ho getting dolled up by the ladies was cute, but Kang Ho clapping along with them every time was so adorkable. Dressed up villagers were riotous. I didn’t get a lot of MiJoo and the kids this week, maybe that’s why I am so grumpy.
Here’s what is bothering me the most about this drama. We talk about women having agency over their lives. But here this woman has completely denied him agency over his life. When she started hitting him(a 35 yo man) over wanting to be a prosecutor, I wanted to reach into my tv and strangle her. I was glad he stopped her at that point but she didn’t seem to want to stop. Going to MiJoo and telling her about him going on a blind date was manipulative and controlling even if it is done with a shy smile. It’s hard to convince myself that she is just ensuring he is taken care of after she is gone. GAH. It seemed to me like MiJoo is finally going over to tell him the twins are his. If that really happens, I will be happy.

Thank you, @lovepark, for your very interesting recap. I found it very hard to get through these two episodes and it is only Mi-joo and her twins who kept me going. She keeps her own council, is not easily fooled and does what she thinks is best for her, her kids and also Kang-ho.

I really have had it with Young-soon, trying to marry off Kang-ho. She shows no respect for him and the future wife, sees her only as a suitable carer for her son. She is not beyond fraud to have him married, dressing him up like an adult - all with the support of the villagers who fully support duping a young woman into a marriage with a 'stupid' man. She will be rewarded with lovely jewellery, that should be enough, shouldn't it? Kang-ho, naturally, has no say in this scheme.

The back stories were not a big revelation any more, who could have not guessed it all before? But, whose head did wash up on the shore there? That does not look good.

Young-soon's inability to truly understand how much damage she's caused her son has reached infuriating levels. We see her act shocked and taken aback every time she realises she's in the wrong (like when Kang-ho called out her controlling behaviour) and then she immediately repeats the same pattern of control, abuse and 'mother knows best'. I wanted to throw something at the screen when she burnt all the files (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻.

Do anybody cringe when the twin girl saya she wants to marry Kang-ho? We know all along he is her father. Can't imagine when she finds out the strong oppa she wants to marry is her father? Like hmmmmm....

My take on this? The village chief's wife is really the daughter of a Yakuza leader that's why she's hiding her face behind the quirky face masks all the time. She'll end up using her Yakuza connection to pin down Song Woo-Byeok and Oh Tae-Soo. The singer/composer is really a detective trying to investigate or spy on Kang-Ho and the villains. Or maybe, he's there in search for the Yakuza daughter.

And we heard it officially - Kang-ho is the father of the twins! This is not a shocker (we already know about it) but still… squee! Oh my gosh! I must say this is my most favorite of all episodes so far. I think this is the first time that I felt giddy about this drama. Yes Show, bring ‘em all fluffy Kang-ho and Mi-joo.

And Mi-joo! I love her. She is sensible, strong and kind. I am rooting for her in all of her decisions. I am so delighted watching her and the twins marching towards Kang-ho’s house. Thumbs up to writer-nim for adding the scene wherein Mi-joo thoughtfully dressed up the kids to formally meet their father. It was a very nice touch.

P.S. The annoying singer still getting scenes and a new story arc at that, disgusted me. Seriously?! No one cares about his business. No one gives a damn about him. Goodness!

Show, Please change the healing genre into a traumatizing one so other Kdrama fans won't repeat our mistake.

Thanks @lovepark for the weecap. I enjoyed the backstory as I knew Kangho was playing the long game but when he put the woman on the boat I was convinced someone was watching them so when the body washed up I knew it was unlikely to be a random body. I also wondered what happened to the gold bars when Youngsoon was getting rid of all the evidence.

I agree that we seem to be dealing with more of the same with the ridiculous side characters. Samshik knows his parents are now at serious risk but rather than communicate he keeps trying random schemes that just lead to them being disappointed in him. When they showed the singer, like you I was thinking what is he possibly going to do or say that will move the story on. Even if he releases the secret about Youngsoon dying there is no gain for him financially which seems to be the angle they were going for unless that scene was just for us to see that he got his comeuppance. If that was the case, we clearly don’t care enough to rejoice, we just want him off the screen already.

I also thought the marrying off Kangho based on looks alone was ridiculous. He is being treated like a child one moment that has no say in his life decisions and the next as a responsible owner of the farm. He can not practice making good choices if he has choices removed when it suits his mum. I was so glad that he named all the examples of abuse and the impact they had on him so she knows she is not getting away with it.

I am glad Mijoo is now in a position to make an informed choice and that we are seeing signs of Kangho regaining his memories and maturity so by the end of the drama he will be a functioning adult able to make informed choices for himself. I am scared for him re the two evil enemies as fighting each other is fun to watch but if they still aim to take him down the daughter is the one who can stop her dad but can two minions undercover in the village stand up against a powerful gangster.

@lovepark: I have really appreciated and liked your weecaps. I’ve meant to write that much earlier but life intervened.
Within the miraculous recovery context of the show, I am thinking could it be possible that Kangho has remembered much more than he has let on just so he can experience some of what he never did or lost along the way because of his revenge plan? It also might offer him an opportunity to redeem himself with Mijoo.

One thing that I've seen mentioned is about Young Soon wanting to marry Kang Ho off being this utterly ridiculous idea. It's "wrong" because she's basically trying to trap some woman into a caretaker role but the thought process behind it *does* make sense (if it were a normal situation). If he had people reliant on him or that he loved & cared about, he likely wouldn't put himself in a situation where they could be hurt or used. He would also likely be more careful himself because he has people dependent on him. (It reminds me of that Simpsons meme where Homer had the pictures on a corkboard that said "do it for her")

Would he have done his revenge scheme if he knew about Mi Joo's pregnancy? No, he likely wouldn't have and he may or may not have felt some type of way about it but he would've probably put her and their kids over his own feelings of unfairness and revenge.

Lovepark, thank you for the recap !

Ahn Eun-Jin is shining here.
Sam -shik’s mother telling Sam-Shik about the jewelry 🙄

Not sure how they’ll wrap the show up. Definitely want Kang-Ho and Mi-joo to reunite.
Then there is the darker side . Revenge ?
Is there enough Eps to do a proper “revenge”?
I don’t want a revenge to overshadow the hopefully lighter Mi-joo /Kang-Ho restoration.

Will Kang-Ho be a fierce prosecutor, rising from the 🔥 ashes, (thanks mom ), like a Phoenix ?
A good revenge would require that, not sure how they will pull it off.

Sad that the writer included a 3 Way Love Triangle trope, though Sam-Shik’s obsession has not reached Oasis Cheol-Woong level obsession, it really does not add much.

OMG--this drama is SO GOOD--"the feels!" Although there is a good deal of filler in most of the episodes, which help this Kdrama qualify as a "slice of life" genre, the pace can be agonizing. Episode 10 was so engaging, but frustrating: REVEAL those secrets and let Mijoo & Kangho get married, PUUULLLLLEEEASSE!

I'm doing my very best to resist looking at reviews, spoilers, etc. as I watch this drama. At this point it is a definite 10 and I'm hoping the Kdrama "gods" (writers, producers and all who control the plot) give me a perfect & happy ending for an up-to-this-point fantastic drama.