Oh, and thank you for the lovely recap DaebakGrits. 💚

"If you ask me, we should have gotten more one-on-one time with the deerlings and fewer pissing contests between the male leads."

I totally agree with that.
Tbh, I think we could've had a consistently good 16h drama if they had focused more on the characters' growth and couples' development.

Your comment is priceless. I cracked up over your thoughts on Mi-ho and II-young.😂😂

I do have to confess that SH is such a great actress she almost made cry during that final scene of EP 13. I felt so bad for her, even tho I didn't care.

Lol. I did not care for Do Hyun's guilt too but I felt bad for the victim's mom and brother. I mean the story has its heart in a good place, but the execution is falling short like someone losing interest in a fun project midway because it took more time to complete it than what was estimated initially.

Re: "When Mi Ho said she was gonna marry him because he's handsome, I had no words because of how ridiculous the whole situation was."

1. You took the words right outta my mouth, sista. My jaw dropped; and I had to walk to the kitchen and have a stiff drink after hearing Miho's words. (Mind you, she didn't just say it once)

2. So, let me *recant* what I said last week about their disparity in emotional maturity. Obviously I was betting on the wrong horse when I thought better of Mi-ho as the one with more emotional maturity and clarity than her younger suitor.

3. Good luck trophy husband! You will need all the help you can get with the entire village of Deerlings sam-choons (thankfully all kids-loving) pitching in, as well as an enthused SIL who has already valiantly volunteered as tribute for Parents' Observation Day when kiddo goes to school. Your hefty and multiple bank saving accounts will come in handy.

4. And get some marital counselling too. "Good looks" and a "fantastic body" may help you hit the sack, it won't see you through decades of marriage and parenthood successfully.

5. This secondary love plot-line could have been resolved satisfyingly. Alas, squandered at the last sprint!

Don't get me wrong. I like them both, but individually as Il Young and as Mi-Ho. I don't like them together as a couple.

They would have been better off constructed as besties & wingman/woman to the leads, and even bickering frenemies for more comedy.

I would rather have a (a) Ye-Na love plot-line; or (b) Justice Jang love plot-line that further reinforce the key themes and leitmotifs of this story

The Hyun-woo Oppa Reveal:

I actually think it is important she knows, and at this stage before the final showdown (where the temptation for noble idiocy is the strongest for ML).

Why?

Think about it in her shoes: logically you have known Ji-Hwan for 3 mere months, and became a couple in the last 1-2 weeks. It would be way easier to let go of him and the relationship given the overwhelming odds you need to fight. *Death threats anyone?*

This is where Show trots out the Senex Iratus ("angry father") archetype in full force this week. His main narrative function is to be an obstacle to our lovers.

We see the comic lightweight version in Mi-Ho's father with his blustery disapproval of the proposal, and then we see the fearsome heavyweight version in Ji-Hwan's father with his legions of mobsters leaving a trail of destruction.

So, in order for her to hold on to him tightly into Ep 16, and NOT give up (even if he is temporarily a noble idiot) she needs to know what they have is not a mere 3 months or 2 weeks.
What they have is 23 long years -- he has been not just a lover, but a brother, a playmate, a protector, a surrogate caregiver and lifesaver to Eun-ha.

For such a person, I would suffer not just my 5th and 6th ribs being broken, I would give my life to save his if rubber meets burning asphalt.

Also, the 2nd equally important reason: I suspect this is where she finally resolves her lifelong regret about the mistake that got him founded and abducted

(p.s. I didn't really believe JH's account to her that he returned safely and only went to his father of his own accord at age 16. His speech was really odd; he stressed it was purely his fault and of his own free will 3 X in a short speech. It was a red flag to me)

It's now her turn to pull her weight and save him. So in the end we will see the 3rd type of justice (besides retributive and restorative justice), we will see a form of poetic justice and the story arc coming full circle.

Cat boss's outfits have a personality of their own😂😂😂

I always look forward to Ko Yang Hee's outfits. Whoever made the decision to dress him up with chanel coats, pearls and earrings deserve a raise.

Second that.

1. I continue to love MSM and actually appreciate the more mellow and contemplative tone in this week's episodes (resolving at least 3 major arcs/conflicts in preparation for the final showdown next week) after 4 episodes (9-12) of giddy honeymoon saccharine sweetness.

(** not complaining here, but to me 9-12 regressed somewhat to more conventional romcom territory and plot beats - which is probably part fan-service, part station pressure).

MSM shines so much brighter when it is being oddball, tongue-in-cheek, and campy whilst smuggling a LOAD of heart & serious themes.

If I can sum up the appeal of the show: it would be in the visual metaphor of the kids candy drug. You think it's mere child's play, but those bright colors & candy wrapping are hiding something way harder-hitting.

I like it that they shifted the gear and thematic focus back to the heart of the story again in Eps 13-14.

2. The comedy continues to split my sides, even if some of the romantic beats or side-plots falters or sputters. The entire story beat about Ji-Hwan barking at Jae-soo & Man-Ho to quickly get a girlfriend, ignore order of seniority in marriage, and stop sticking to each other so much is COMIC GOLD 🤣🤣

3. Yes. Please stick the landing. Show, you can do it, and do it WELL. Go out with a glorious BANG, not a whimper. Preferably with loads of white doves John Woo style, and the return of swooshing trench coats.

4. I still maintain that MSM even on an off-form day, is still tons better than a lot of romcoms on their very best day. That's how much I like it (and of course UTG's acting and cheekbones) ❤❤

And I liked the secondary romance so much, much more than the OTP. But now it's just a cautionary tale - beware, young women, beware the power of hormones! They will call on you to spent the night with Tall, Dark and Handsome and forgetting contraception. And when the pregnancy hormones kick in, they will tell you that Mr. Tall & Handsome and his low effort no-pology will make a good husband and daddy. Beware of hormones, young ladies!

Well said.

I like the buildup and confrontation in the boardroom and the entire dialogue between JH and his two executives who became turncoats for fear of revenge backlash.

1. Frankly, I don't know how Show can resolve this debt: the sins of the father (short of having Boss Seo killed by his own resentful underlings. Kitty Boss, tis your chance to shine now and be useful!)

2. Again the question: where does the buck stop? When does the statue of limitation end for this act of betrayal?

JH by his own admittance took 10 years to cut ties, another 10 to get out from under his father's influence -- that brings him right up to 36yo his current age. THEN dad gets out of jail and starts the damning cycle of calling his heir back to the dark side again. (seriously, where is the ToD when we need one?)

3. SJH: "I will not be like you."
STP: "Don't kid yourself. My blood runs in you."

This reminds me of Kill Bill 2. In a pivotal conversation between Bill and The Bride about the myth of the superhero, he told her that she is like Superman (unlike Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne who have superhero alter egos, it is the reverse for Superman. He is truly not human, and merely trying to blend in with the rest of humanity as Clark Kent).

Bill then tells The Bride to stop kidding herself: she is a natural born killer and his best assassin ever. That fact will never change even if she runs away to work in a video rental store under a pseudonym.

4. Going Feral: I think Ji-Hwan's last obstacle and growth arc in his hero's journey is overcoming this damning testament that the acorn doesn't fall far from the oak tree. He must resist the last temptation to turn feral - especially when his nearest and dearest is threatened (cue Eun-Ha).

Tis no accident that Show has always littered the episodes with references to religion (Buddhist heart sutra chants, or Bible quoting and grace etc) Whilst it has been played mostly for comic effect and characterisation, it actually tells us how tight a rein he keeps on his own inner demons. It won't be pretty when hell breaks loose.

On this note, I have to say kudos and kudos to the consummate acting of UTG - his mercurial ability to switch at the drop of a hat from calm to terrifying wrath is truly chilling to watch. I would love to see him play a psychopath next.

I thought the same too. I don't think you can hit a prosecutor over the head with a brick and get away unscathed. Not to mention they attacked our heroine. These two are going to go to prison.

And it was so sweet when he slipped up after re-tying her pony tail

Yes, I loved that part. She called him oppa and he dropped the honorifics signaling that they fully restored the relationship they had as children

which is sweet but not romantic. I wish they had strengthen and deepened their adult relationship to have a bit more adult dynamics so the romance advanced before Hyun Woo Oppa/Eun Ha phase started or have the revelation earlier because with two episodes to go now they feel like sweet siblings instead of romantic partners.

As to the second couple, it really felt that tall pretty privilege is Il Yeong’s calling card. He just ran up to her house and then pretty much muscled his way verbally, emotionally and even physically with the hug into being with her. I didn’t see an apology—just an explanation with a cocky little smile that he wanted to take responsibility and be with her. He didn’t apologize for the mistake comment, he didn’t apologize about not telling her that he knew she was pregnant, he didn’t apologize for the awkward drunken and parent bribing way he tried to win her back after he learned she was pregnant. I think the writers think it is romantic to have this tall, handsome man say he wants to be with her and that should be that. But these two don’t know each other well enough yet for all of this to just be resolved so simply unless we buy into that when a tall handsome man smiles and says, “I want to be with you” then all is right with the world again. AND despite all her reservations about Il Yeong’s motivations and sudden change of heart as sufficient basis to be together when she is pregnant, it all gets solved just because she liked him because he is good looking (with a supporting chorus from her mom). Then on top of that, she further accepts him because he has a lot of money? I hated this so much as her character arc and their relatinship development.

I realized that as tall and cute as Il Yeong is, that is all he has become. He showed very little reflection and growth even with the baby coming. He sank right back into his smug self-assurance that he is right with Mi Ho and with Ji Hwan by telling him that the way to clear up the marriage talk misunderstanding with Eun Ha was not with conversation but with action, specifically buying her a nice gift. Ugh. He has become my least favorite deer. (On a side note, why did Il Yeong have to drive like an a** in the Meow garage? It was right before his non-apology, so I already had my hackles up about his continual posturing.). Perhaps for the last two episdoes, they could use his tall handsomeness by framing shots of him on the very top so I don’t have to directly look at his smug face.

Finally, Ye Na who despite being portrayed as a hard working, calculating, and savvy kids’ content creator has been reduced to pining for someone who bailed her out 8 years ago, shows no interest in her and has stated his heart belongs to one woman. This “savvy” woman with 1 million subsribers goes and gets drunk in public in the middle of the day and has her picture plastered all over social media?? Doesn’t she care about her image or even Thirsty Deer who has her as a...

"Their prudishness and chasteness at this point seems weirder by the moment, which has now stretched to 4 episodes."

I do hate this kind of writing. Depicting fully grown adults this way is so off-putting to me.

"Wouldn’t it have been nice to have a sub plot about Eun Ha’s new kids channel v. Macaron Soft/YeNa?"

I think this was actually necessary. Ye Na spent the whole show talking about how incompetent Eun Ha is and how she doesn't take her job seriously, but the show never gave Eun Ha the chance to prove otherwise.

And that's a shame given that Eun Ba has never stop talking about how important her job is and how much she wants to help children (the whole Hyun Woo oppa obsession is pretty much for that reason), however, the drama never let her truly achieve that dream. They just make her talk about it as a goal that's really far away, when in reality, she's working on it (or at least that's what we're supposed to believe with her channel becoming a hit).

I was thinking… wow, we barely know anything about Eun-ha’s family or what she went through as a child. All we know about her is through the lens of her relationship with Ji-hwan and the other Lobsters.

… about him growing up in an orphanage. And, I guess, also saying that he likes kids etc., which goes against what the Thirsty Deer PR fellow had told Mi Ho.

Mostly, we are all grasping at straws with plot development though…

I thought exactly the same thing! This is poor writing as we will pretend we showed you but we will just drop it in there. Such a pity as I think they had chemistry but perhaps their additional scenes were unwisely edited out?

I think they meant right there. Like, he asked her to marry or wtv, and then the writer remembered they don't know each other at all, so they made him just dump a bunch of TMI on her after his confession.

1. Yes he did -- in a key dinner conversation (right before their one-night stand) when he talked about how he owed JH so much he would never be able to repay him in this lifetime hence his compelling motivation to become a useful person to help his Hyung. and she counseled him not to think of it as a debt to be paid but as an invitation to intimacy and relationship that JH wants with him.

2. Il-Young also did explain why he ends up giving this aloof and anti-kids/anti-family vibe. He said because he grew up in an orphanage he didn't like people to see his wound in this area.

The backstories would have been much better than introducing the pregnancy plot which in my opinion was so badly written it is no wonder no one liked it. The misplayed love triangle would have been better left out also in favor of more backstories.