I have lost count of the scenes of Jin-Hee getting drunk and misbehaving/embarrassing herself/Jae-Won OR losing control and attacking people. It was somewhat funny at first, not so much any more.

It’s too early in the show, Jin-Hee mentioned something about his height and he appeared to be trying to tell Eun-Mi something when he was chasing her so I am not sure hoodie boy is the killer.

I started off liking Eun-Mi a lot but have been rethinking that recently. She brought Jin-Hong along when her daughter planned a special weekend together and then ignored him and shut him out when he didn’t agree blindly with her. When he was drowsy from the medication for anaphylactic shock, she was upset he wasn’t awake for her. Everything seemed to be about her. She pretty much ruined the trip for everyone with her attitude.

In the first six episodes I have always managed to understand Eun-mi somehow. Episode 7, however, left me partially perplexed.
To be honest, I can't imagine that Eun-mi will be happy with Jin-hong for a long time and won't lose interest at some point because he lets himself be bossed around too much. But I hope she stays in a committed relationship so that Jin-hee can free herself a little and lead her own life.

As for Jin-hong, I would like him to develop some backbone and show Eun-mi her limits for once. It's clear that he would like to get to know Jin-hee better. Even though he is constantly put in his place by Eun-mi as soon as he asks questions about Jin-hee, it would be more relatable to me if he spoke more of his wishes in his conversations with Eun-mi.

I don't understand how Jin-hee can get the idea that she is selfish. She takes care of so many people that she herself sometimes gets the short end of the stick. In that context, I also didn't understand the line about why she tells Jae-won not to be hurt if she later pretends not to know him.

As always, the scenes with Jin-hee and Jae-won are the highlight for me. What a laugh I had when Jae-won bumped into the gobbler and then ran away from Jin-hee while stretching his leg backwards as if to shake her off.

It's nice to see how the last two episodes tie in with the first episodes. While Jae-won rode his bike in a different direction to avoid Jin-hee at the beginning, he now even stops briefly to comfort her (but quickly adds another remark to make her think he was just trying to get her to do her job properly). Or when Jin-hee tells why she attended the police acadamy. By now Jae-won knows her much better and also the background, so he doesn't judge her anymore.

I'm curious to see which of the two will make the first move. If things continue at the current pace, Jin-hee will have already moved into the residence (because it is more convenient^^) and have her own toothbrush by this time.

With the exception of Jae-won every other character on this show is extremely unlikeable.

The mother is a developmentally stunted narcissist, the daughter is a drunk with poor impulse control, the father is a weakling who allows others to run roughshod over him, and the less said about the violent best friend/aunt the better.

With that being said, it better to actively dislike or hate a character than feel nothing for them at all, the drama is never boring and that works in its favour.

Eun Mi pissed me off these episodes. She can be really selfish and it is obnoxious that she doesn't realize this. However she also made me cry a couple of times too. So kudos to Jeon Hye Jin. As for Sooyoung, I want to commend her on acting in the scene where she is pissed off at her father for not protecting her mother. Why she is acting like it isn't important that her mother is dating the father who didn't know about her is very weird. Come on girl, just admit ANYTHING about him. Her mother needs to get some self-awareness and admit she is punishing Jin Hong for leaving, which is why she snaps whenever he speaks to "her" daughter. Jin Hong needs to get backbone and insist on getting to know Jin Hee. I am still loving this drama though, I am fully invested in these characters.

I low-key dislike Eunmi. Jinhee is a doormat whenever it comes to her... The trauma really molded her personality. A friend of mine in a similar situation pointed out, JH "shows such big signs of a child who has been neglected."

I feel like the show never addresses that Jinhee has valid grievances. I get that Eunmi was a single mom and all that but... It's always JH apologizing, it feels to me.

Sexy sunbaenim is such a cute, silly dork... I love him... Mom and daughter def have a type.

EP. 7... That cliffhanger... Why make it a cliffhanger if you reveal everything in the preview for next episode...

Imo the openings for this drama are super weird. Like, they're wild, it feels like they're from some other show. They always have some light emotional abuse / tragic backstory vibes. Meanwhile, the rest of the episodes go down a mostly comedic route.

I felt so bad for bbg doctor when JH was yelling at him. He gives such sweet uncle vibes. Also... Not him giving flowers to the woman who assaulted him in a public washroom? Tf?

I feel cheated bc the previews made it seem that JH was gonna drunkenly confess. That loveline is moving at a glacial pace.

Also, OP, no mention of the rude ass teenage girl who got pregnant, stayed at their home and then dipped without a single bye or thank you?

I can't express in words of how much I am enjoying this show, even to the extent of finding minor characters like that teen girl who bunked in Jin Hee's house to be winning and lovely.

I know some peope do not like the mom acting immature, but the show did mention she is in her 40's and I do not see why she should be restricted to the limits to which she can enjoy her life just because she is A) old, B) a mom and C) has an adult daughter who 30. I see her as a strong woman who doesn't shirk her motherly or professional responsiblities, but at the same time fulfills her heart's desire. She could have easily blamed Jin Hee for missing out on things that other woman of her age do while she was single handedly raising her, but she supported her, is proud of her and protective of her ❤

I had never watched the actor playing Jin Hong before, but he has suddenly entered into my favourite Ajusshis list because he playing the "pushover" character with such nuance that it is endearing rather than annoying. This is why I am leaning more towards the mom and dad romance than the cop romance. Sure, Jae won is fun to watch with all his exasperated looks at Jin Hee's antics, but the drama is yet to disclose about his background, his motivations and the reason for his "dejected at life" feelings which makes it hard to care more for him and root for his snail's pace romance with Jin Hee.

Soo young has always been one of my favourite actors, but her acting range has found new depths because when went against her dad at the police station, she captured her anger (at her dad for failing to protect her mom), disappointment (at herself for slacking) and fear (of her mom's near escape from the culprit) in one single action. This drama definitely deserves the increase in ratings.

Thanks @dramaddictally for the recaps.

Not nearly enough Jae-won and waaaaaaay too much Eun-mi in episode 7, and I mostly want to punch her (or let the killer have her, I don’t care). I simply can’t understand why Jin-hee needs to apologize to her. One bad episode feels like more when there are only 12 total.

Eun-mi reminds me of a traumatized child acting out to test their parents’ or caregivers’ limits. “Will you still take care of me if I do this? What about this? Look, I’ll prove I’m unlovable!” It’s a lot more tolerable when it’s an actual child doing it than a grown-ass woman with an otherwise competent approach to life. And I want to like Jin-hee more than I do, but her lack of impulse control (like Eun-mi’s) and outrageous violence (like Mi-jung’s) are hard to overlook. Her low-drama, slow-reveal relationship with Jae-won is a refreshing contrast to the parents, though.

I’m betting Eun-mi’s hairpulling opponent is Jin-hong’s sister (and that the kid in the photo is hers) as another parallel to Jin-hee and Jin-soo: two people with a sibling relationship being mistaken for romantic partners.

I'm actually really enjoying this show. 😆

Jin-hee had a line towards the end of ep. 7 that gave voice to my frustrated feelings about Eun-mi's behavior in these episodes and, indeed, throughout the entire show.

Jin-hee receives the footage of Jin-hong at the bus stop, and clearly sees that the woman fell on his lap accidentally, and so he did not grope her. Yet the woman beat him up anyway. Jin-hee finds this ridiculous and wonders out loud (slight paraphrase here): Why would you apologize to her when she beat you up for doing nothing wrong?

That's exactly the question I was asking of both Jin-hee and her father about their reactions to Eun-mi. And I honestly can't decide if this show is brilliantly written by someone who is building to these characters having these revelations and confronting Eun-mi, or if we're just supposed to either laugh about Eun-mi's obnoxiousness or agree with her that it's always other people who do *her* wrong, not the other way around.

All I know is that I'm tired of watching endless scenes of Eun-mi acting in childish, even cruel ways to people who love her, dictating the terms of their relationship and experiences based entirely on her own preferences and whims, and then receiving their abject apologies whenever those people try to express their feelings to her. (And yes, I know there was a scene where Eun-mi apologized to Jin-hee, but it didn't seem sincere at all to me, and Jin-hee still ended up having to apologize even more strongly to her mother, so that scene did nothing to assuage my annoyance.) Jin-hee, her father, and her mother's friend all need to ask that same question: Why am I apologizing to this person when she's the one who (emotionally) beat me up when I did nothing wrong?

She was so rude to Jin-hong--mocking and deriding him at every turn, trying to manipulate him to take her side in conflicts with Jin-hee, and then dictating the (constantly changing) terms of their relationship--that I truly have no idea what he sees in her. Again, I understand that I'm supposed to get that he and his daughter both capitulate to this woman in the same way, but still, Eun-mi's actions are neither cute nor funny. Additionally, now that Eun-mi knows that Jin-hong truly had no idea that she was pregnant with his child, the fact that she's now telling him he can't and shouldn't care at all about his daughter is a) not her place (this is between Jin-hee and her father to decide) and b) selfish, as her only motivation seems to be to be able to do exactly what she wants when she wants without having to consider anyone else's feelings or needs.

When Eun-mi's friend stated the obvious--that Eun-mi seems to be completely forgetting and dismissing the fact that Jin-hong is Jin-hee's father--I cheered. But this was immediately undermined by the fact that Eun-mi was the victim of violence and the center of attention in the very next scene. I know I was supposed to feel bad or afraid for her, but I couldn't drum up any real empathy or...

I want Jin-hong and Jae-won to run away from these women as fast as they can. Or I want Jin-hong and Jae-won to start pushing back. Hard.

I think the woman pulling Eun-Mi's hair is Jin-hong's sister. I hate the violence in this show, but still, I hope sis kicks Eun-Mi's butt. In case y'all haven't guessed, I'm not a fan of Eun-Mi. I know several single moms IRL, and they don't act like her.

I agree with @soyesterday; I find most of the characters unlikable. But like a train wreck, I can't look away.

Thank you for the recap! This show is turning out to be an odd one for me, as I like our tough and independent ladies but I'm frustrated by them in equal measure. I'm also admittedly a little bit disappointed that as the episodes roll on, this show is less mom & daughter than I hoped it would be.

Eun-mi is obviously a character of contention, and I feel that even in myself— I like her but I find her behavior very manipulative. And it feels like every time Eun-mi does something mean or passive aggressive, the show has a tangent that shows how hard it is to be a single teen mom. Which, of course, it is! That's incredibly difficult and Eun-mi is obviously very tough and determined! ...but that in no way excuses her current behavior, and yet Jin-hee always ends up apologizing AGAIN. The framing of the show also makes it difficult for me to tell if they're going anywhere with Eun-mi's behavior, or if it's just a facet of Eun-mi we (and Jin-hee and Jin-hong) have to live with. I am holding out hope that we'll reach a point where Eun-mi stops dictating Jin-hee and Jin-hong's relationship (or lack thereof. Even if it's out of protection, I still find it absurdly controlling)

Not that Jin-hee is free from her moments. This is a comedy so I don't take the exaggerated violence/drinking too seriously, but I do hope we have more meaningful interactions with Jae-won where she isn't drunk or discussing a serial killer lol

I'm almost certain the woman in Jin-hong's apartment is going to turn out to be an auntie or a sister or something. But maybe it'll be an opportunity for him to show some backbone

Eun-mi is interesting to me because she seems have a lot of trauma and baggage that very effects not only her relationship with her daughter but everyone else as well. She acts out to everyone to prove their loyalty to her, and in so doing causes rifts with almost anyone except her best friend and Jin-hee. That’s why I think Jin-hee felt the the need to apologise, to remain with the status quo but bringing up the one time Eun-mi was almost disloyal to Jin-hee is taboo as well. Loyalty to Eun-mi is sacred and she constantly feels the need to test others to prove it. Because well she passed the test didn’t she? She chose Jin-hee.

And there in lies the toxic nature of their relationship. Jin-hee has to feel grateful for it, even tho it hurt her. Every interaction therefore is exemplified in her mind, small gestures of love or hurt mean 10 times more to Jin-hee than Eun-mi.

With only four episodes I’m not sure how’ll they’ll address this? Considering the slow pace of any romantic interaction between Jin-hee and Jae-won, it looks like their relationship won’t be the crux for Eun-mi to no longer rely on Jin-hee as much and for Jin-hee to feel less guilt? Cause the way things are going Eun-mi will definitely be the mother-in-law from HELL!

Since so many beanies have expressed their dislike about Eun Mi –which is totally justified, I was in rage myself watching her, I’d like to just ask this: is it normal for a single mother or any mother to act like this? I’m genuinely puzzled with her actions. I had THE best mom a daughter could ask in the whole world, so I just couldn't understand a mother acts this way. Someone addressed about this already. What's the purpose of this, show? Showing us how terrible she is a mom ‐-being manipulative and all, but kept on doing flashbacks on her good deeds. Does the show want us to just treat it as something okay? Because it is not!
And don't even get me start with the man without any backbone. But despite my strong dislike about Jin Hong as a character, at least it reminds me of something; people don't actually change. He was afraid to speak up to his father when he was a kid and unsurprisingly, he is doing the same now with Eun Mi. Grow up, man!
I've been venting so far, but I truly don't want to miss the good thing from these episodes, albeit very brief. Jae Won is so endearing! I'm so liking his character; reserved yet strong. I’d love to see him more! And of course anything with Jin Hee as well. They relationship is growing very naturally and I can see they respect each other deeply. I smiled ear to ear watching the moment where Jin Hee and he just casually talked on the couch. This is romance done right, with a proper pace and not just an insta love. It keeps us wanting more and rooting for them.

I am still struggling with Eun Mi. I don’t get her. Then we see a small scene from the past and I am not sure I hate her so much anymore. Honestly I don’t know what Jin-Hong sees in her. It doesn’t look like he likes her out of guilt. Doesn’t look like he wants to be the father. Or he does but he doesn’t show it? Pretty much any relationship with Eun Mi feels one sided. it’s all about catering to her.
Her love language is something I find hard to understand.

On the other hand I love Jin Hee. She thinks and processes her feelings, makes sacrifices, keeps peace etc. There is something about her that I really like. I think she doesn’t want him to be her father but she also doesn’t hate him. I wonder if she is indeed making this sacrifice to not want a father so her mother can date him freely. If yes, my heart would break for her.

I loved that she is the one who reaches out to Jae Won. She wants him to be ok. Their relationship is precious. I love every scene they are together.
Her honest talk with him was beautiful. And Jae won telling her to be herself was equally beautiful. This is a couple I am totally rooting for. Jin Hee needs someone who isn’t selfish and he needs someone who can watch out for him, be for him and talk to him. I can’t wait for him to open up. And most importantly I can’t wait to know what happened back in the academy.
And Jae Won freeing his forehead for a moment had me go 😍😍😍😍

I am one of the few who really likes Eun-mi and I have a lot of sympathy for the way she treats Ji-hong. Her experience with him was pretty awful and now, years later!, he turns up on her doorstep again. If she were to accept him again, it needs to be under her terms and rules. She has a lot of bad experiences with men as a single mother who would accept her, but not her child, and does not want to be messed around with again. It would be strange if she trusted Ji-hong again so easily. He has not given any reason why he came back either.

Ji-hong is a sweetie and I am sure he has grown a spine since his teenage years. He understands that he needs to proof to Eun-mi that he is reliable now and submits himself - which suits his submissive character anyway. There is a reason why he came back and it is not because he thinks that she is awful.

There are two things that I particularly like about Eun-mi. First, the way she reacted towards the pregnant teenager. She gave her the answers the girl needed without judgement or belittling and she offered help. Her unconventional attitude allowed the teenager to ask the questions which were troubling her.

The second plus is the way Eun-mi removed any obligation between Ji-hong and Jin-hee which both must feel on finding out that they are father and daughter. This gives both the space and chance to get to know each other as persons. Se is also protecting Jin-hee, in case she should form an attachment to a father who may run away again.

The women pulling Eun-mi's hair must be Ji-hong's sister. If I remember correctly it was his sisters who beat up teenage Eun-mi at school.

Thanks for the recap!

I don't think I would like this show if Eun-mi was actually either perfect or terrible as a mother. I like her because she's an immature person who is struggling to be a good mother. For someone who didn't have a mother and whose father was a violent drunk, Eun-mi is doing pretty well. She owns her own home, her daughter finished college and has a job, she has a profession--and she did it all with the support of her found family. People keep growing after they become adults.

Jin-hee was raised by an imperfect, immature person who loves her like crazy and modeled courage and hard work. Jin-hee is also a flawed person, because she felt insecure growing up as the child of a single mom in an explicitly patriarchal society. You can't have a comedy if the lead characters have no flaws, but you can't have a satisfying show if they don't resolve their issues and grow into better people. The flip side of all this impulsivity and difficulty keeping their temper is that these characters are brave and loyal and want to take care of people.

Having made the case for why flawed lead characters are good, actually, I want to make a prediction here. I think Jin-hong has been married and divorced since his parents separated him from Eun-mi. I'm not sure about the little boy in the photos in his room--either a child from his marriage or a nephew. Also, I think the person leaving him banchan is his sister. Also, Jae-won always liked Jin-hee, which is why he doesn't smile at her and gives her a hard time. We know for sure she always liked him.

On that cliffhanger ending...I didn't think the show was intending to sincerely hide the identity of Jin-hong's sister. I thought we were all supposed to immediately know it was her because of their backstory: The girls were friends until Eun-mi started dating her brother. Plus, they were holding onto each other's hair in his apartment, and his first reflex was to leave them to it. If they were truly strangers, he would have at least tried to diffuse things. Him leaving said to me that he knows there's no talking them down. Their hatred for each other is beyond him. And then there's them saying the exact same thing to him in unison. It's not their first time in that situation.

But I could be wrong. I guess we'll see in a few days.

Eun Mi is absolute pain in the ass and got super unlikable, she of course would say she is protecting her daughter and that’s why don’t want Jin Hee and Jin Hong to get close, but it is absolutely stupid reason, I think father and daughter bond is more important than man and woman and doesn’t have expiration date, she needs to get to know her father.
Jin Hong lets Eun Mi get away with everything because he feels guilty, but how long such relationship will withstand? Woman abuses that sense of guilt and is getting out of control, of course she loves it that he is rich and absolutely at her will, plus as I understand, one of the reasons she never got married was her looking for someone rich and handsome, not just because men she dated were bad to Jin Hee, so the woman is even more annoying to me, I think she is the type who would guilt her daughter into taking care of her because all her life went wrong of her pregnancy, if Jin Hong didn’t turn up.
All in all, poor Jin Hee, such a difficult life as a child and as an adult, at least she has this nice guy to lean on, her captain.

Well, I hated the events following the gold fish poop fight. The murder mystery is completely unnecessary and boring. I wish they kept the drama and police related events more of a slice-of life theme. It would have been far more relatable. The fish poop scene was very good but they ruined it with what followed.