Eleison

Well put! I think Woo Hak's character makes sense if you see him as a character with his own arc, rather than just as a plot device. This screenwriter is too thoughtful to just use him as a third wheel that creates romance angst and nothing else. We're used to seeing 2MLs (and love triangles) used as plot devices but this screenwriter always gives her 2MLs more depth, and I think what characterizes her 2MLs is that they always grow BECAUSE of their relationship with/to the FL. She is always a part of them becoming a better version of themselves, and integral to their character arc. This is true of all the dramas I've watched by her, except I can't really remember Pinocchio as well, haha.

Also, I'm hoping the cutting ties will be fleshed out more in the next episodes cause it felt so... dramatic? Kind of out of nowhere? I anticipated the Kang family's identity being revealed would make for difficulties, but I didn't think it would go this way!

Yes! Also, he's the main lead, folks. If you've watched even just a few Kdramas, you know that only the main lead ends up with the female lead if they end up together at all, and the tags make it clear if they will or not. Why the discussion? There is no discussion. You can want things to be true, but if you want what the formula can't/won't deliver you're setting yourself up for frustration. Why watch Kdramas if you can't enjoy the formula? 🤦‍♀️

This is nicely explained! I found Episode 10 kind of deflating because it was painful from start to finish, and a bit confusing (still don't know why some stuff happened, though I don't think it was a bad episode, just hard to watch), but I'm hoping this is our low for our characters and things just look up from here.

Also, the voice over at the end made me think that Mok Ha abandoning the Kang family was being compared to her eating her seagull friend's eggs. I think the drama is making us question: will she betray a friend again or will she find a way to "swim" first this time without sacrificing those she loves?

Yes, it is, but I'd recommend you wait until after next weekend. Not because it might not be good, or because I think you should see how it will end first, but because the last episode you can access so far will leave you feeling frustrated. I'm still confident the writer will pull everything together, so you might want to wait until she does to binge this. 😏

Not going to lie, Episode 10 confused me and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I don't understand why Mok Ha couldn't say goodbye, even if she was going to cut ties. Why couldn't she secretly keep in touch? 😖

I will say this. The reason the Kang family is going through all this now is because they chose to help Mok Ha, knowing the risk it posed to their family. She wanted to hide, and they pulled her out of hiding (technically it was Ki Ho, but the family ended up joining him) so she could fulfill her dream. They knew the risk they were taking. Wouldn't it be more of a slap in the face to them if she gave up on her dream or tried to be wishy-washy in the way she pursued it after everything she made their family go through? The family getting pulled out of hiding and having their secrets exposed would have been wasted then, no? She has to do this for all the people who sacrificed for her to get here.

I still don't know how I feel about the "cutting ties" and all that (it DOES feel more dramatic than it needs to be), but I think Ran Joo was making sure Mok Ha knew that there would be a cost. What did she really want? And would she be willing to make the significant sacrifices required to get there?

I have a whole week to think through what this episode was doing and hope our final two episodes will put everything in its place.

Happy to clarify! That leaves only one psycho dad left to deal with. 😉

Yup!

The end of the Episode 11 preview better not be a dream sequence!! They can scare us with misleading previews but don't they dare get our hopes up then dash them into pieces! 😭

Good to know! I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. :)

Really liked the Yong Kwan twist that cropped up. Can't wait to see what they do with him! (Also, why would he be so loyal to Seo Joon when he was so eager all along to give up on him? Ran Joo is the one who fought for him, why throw her under the bus and work for greedy, practical-to-a-fault Seo Joon?)

I think Mok Ha is just the most darling human (I love how she wins everyone over and looks at the world differently, prioritizing different things and holding different values from the average person), but why did she go with RnJ Agency? I hoped she'd say she could only do a contract if Ran Joo didn't terminate HER contract so I'm still a bit mystified she went with them since she knows what kind of guy Seo Joon is... 🤔

I loved seeing Ki Ho/Bo Geol and Ran Joo supporting Mok Ha covertly from the shadows. They're too cute! Also, I desperately want everything to work out for the lovely Kang family. 😬

Beloved Summer was a slog compared to this one. If you've liked this screenwriter's other dramas, you'll like this one. It's been the best drama I've seen in a long time!

This is certainly a drama that is drawing out his potential! I'm enjoying his blend of world-weary, "I've seen too much," life's-been-hard persona paired with the earnest and bright-eyed boyishness pulled out of him by Mok Ha. Definitely loving him in this. The entire Kang family is too cute, though I am ready to not see Woo Hak pining for Mok Ha. It's getting more painful than I would like.

Here, here! My least favorite tropes/scenes in Kdramas are the main-leads-get-wasted scenes. And it's supposed to be cute? Heh, the hangover that follows won't be.

I don't think there is a narrator; the characters doing voice overs are just doing extra context voice overs like you frequently find in Kdramas. At least that's how I'm interpreting them!

I wonder if Episode 12 will be longer, like how Episode 1 was basically an hour and a half? It would give a bit more wiggle room to resolve everything. Here's hoping!!

Haha, I see! I mean, villains are always annoying, aren't they? 🤣

Now, I'll admit I don't know if Seo Joon should be in the list of mains, but maybe he'll come in more later? Still haven't sat down to watch Epsiode 9 yet, so maybe we'll see more of him, but I hope not, haha. He's not my favorite.

@somerisebycyn I agree! That's why I was confused by this comment. I get that the plot synopsis doesn't mention him, but Episode 1 made it clear the three you mentioned were the main characters and would all feature equally (as does the cast list). Maybe we need to petition for a better synopsis on MDL, haha.

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