My Unfamiliar Family Episode 16

Generally satisfying conclusion, though a few elements felt hollow

It was interesting seeing Eun Joo step in as the peacemaker/mediator on Ji Woo's behalf instead of Eun Hee. Eun Joo has really changed -- for the better. Even with how gently she scolded Ji Woo at the cafe.

I was a bit frustrated when Chan Hyuk said that the look in Jin Sook and Sang Shik's eyes at Eun Joo's wedding was a sort of "I know what you've been through to get to this point" feeling because it's completely wrong. That's the literal premise of this entire show -- that they DIDN'T know what the other had been through, so they made assumptions on their own, suffered on their own, and created emotional scars based on imaginary happenings on their own. This scene felt a bit hollow, like the writer was trying to beautify the truly f*cked up nature of their relationship at the time, and that by one of the most clear-eyed characters of the show, perhaps showing that this was the "real insight." But, if you recall, this was the exact same wedding where Sang Shik assumed that Eun Joo's biological father not only came to the wedding, but had been in touch with Jin Sook all along, making him be even more vicious and nasty to her after the wedding than he had been before the wedding, if that was even possible.

I agree Jin Sook should be able to go on a trip whenever she wanted, and I also agree she needed to get away, but I feel like they framed it wrong. They made it sound like if they had talked over maknae's issue instead of breezing past it, everything would have been better and she wouldn't have had to go on a trip, like it was all her children's fault she needed to get away. But she had to break out of the mold of what her life had been for the last 35 years -- not just the last year. It was a life that she and Sang Shik had created for themselves and thrown their children into. Who could blame them if they caused a little misery or wanted to escape?

I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I couldn't quite buy where the parents' characters landed. Everything else about the show felt right, but their ending felt kind of shallow or unreal. It's a bit of a shame because the writing is super tight, and the characterizations are largely consistent and well thought out.

Just a bit of a minor gripe, but even though Chan Hyuk and Eun Hee were super cute and sweet, I was a little bummed we didn't get any super passionate/sultry times. I feel like we already know how well they get along as friends and how goofy and fun they can be together. I would have liked to see how their relationship evolved a bit. Also, I feel like the show kind of copped out with Chan Hyuk only confiding one thing in Eun Hee (his brother's death). I guess moving forward, they'll be like that for each other, but I would have liked to see how their relationship shifted once it became more of a two-way street instead of Eun Hee just dumping everything on Chan Hyuk and relying on him for moral support and advice. I wish their storyline got just a bit more screen time or that they had gotten together earlier so we could see how their relationship developed more.

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