Goddess of Marriage - Episode 6 (aka KimJiCap)

I am surprised and pleased that this drama manages to fascinate me way beyond of what I expected. What did I expect? The beauty and adorable vain dorkiness of Kim Ji-hoon, of course! 

But whatdoyouknow, the artful twists of what seems, at first look, cliched; the more than imperfect characters that feel so real; the overall topic of idealized love and not so ideal marriage; and the inability to foresee what will happen next (will they get married or not? will he find out or not? will he leave her or not? etc. etc. etc.) all combine to make this an above average drama experience for me. I even caught myself singing that theme song that gets on my nerves so much this morning!

Abs and The Big Snore (aka the Kissing Machine)

Yes, and then, there is Kim Ji-hoon and his character, Tae-wook. I may be biased, as somebody has recently pointed out, and I do admit to "some" bias when it comes to this man: but for me, Tae-wook is one of the more complex and interesting characters in recent drama history. There are plenty of episodes left and I do foresee heart ache and annoyance (especially my own) and I am sure this drama is going to go down lanes I'd rather not have it go down into, but still ... I am confident that the Tae-wook at the end will be a completely different Tae-wook than the one we have now. Even though he told Ji-hye "I will not change" in episode 5: He will change, because he must. A lot. And I will be there to hold his hand during the difficult process. Please show me your abs from time to time, will you?

Episode 6 opens in the café with Tae-wook telling Ji-hye that they shouldn't get married. She sighs, half-annoyed, half-tired - and asks him what's wrong again. Seriously?? You have some gal, woman! I think you do know what is wrong?! You have made the beast with two backs with another man a few days ago! Are you having a convenient fit of temporary amnesia?

He is, like me, rather incredulous (though for a slightly less informed reason) and repeats her question: What's wrong? She doesn't want to marry him, that is wrong! She says he is having a tantrum. Again. She treats him like a little boy and frankly, she is not a iota better than him when it comes to listening to others. Sauhäfeli, Sauteckeli, as we say in this beautiful country here.

He says she is the one that has the tantrum and every time she has one, she wants to call off the engagement. He tells her that she acts rather hateful and unpleasing. If she doesn't want to marry, then don't! Yes, that's what I have been saying all the time, too, Tae-wook. Please notice his absurdly fine nose in the next gif. Plus his sexy fast-moving lips:

He becomes more aggressive (as he gets angrier) and tells her that he is afraid and bored of her already and that is really not a good basis for going forward (True. But I don't think you really mean it, boy. Not yet, anyways). He demands to know what marriage means to her, but before she can answer (and be glad you don't have her answer because her views on men and marriage and stuff? Not what you want to hear if you're in love with someone), he lets her know that he is also flooded with unpleasant stuff, surprising stuff, you name it. No - all of this isn't easy for him either. But he doesn't just shut down, disappears, and stops talking to her.

Does she actually know how much she is hurting and humiliating him? Let me answer this question for you, Tae-wook, cause this woman does not listen and seriously does not even try to understand you. No, she has no clue, because she is incredibly selfish. She thinks this is all about her and her difficulties and she does not even begin to understand that others might find it difficult, too. That said, you also are a selfish and difficult creature, but seeing the family you were brought up in, I can forgive you. For the moment.

She says she is sorry for disappearing - but she had a lot to think about. Can't he stop for a moment and think about her position? It's only been a year, not even that, since they started going out. Since they first dated, since he first brought her home. Since they first kissed and since he first hugged her (I told you so, they only went up to hugging! Unless hugging stands for ... something completely different)

He doesn't get it. And I don't get it. Nothing was done to her will? I mean ... was she forced to do it all? But her issue is that she feels pushed. Before she could even consider her feelings and emotions, he bulldozed her into everything. She feels as if she were sucked by a strong magnet (yeah, it's the power of his abs!)

So - does she want to take it back? he asks her (it being their agreement to get married). If yes - will he let her? she replies. But, once again, she doesn't even wait for him to say anything. She goes on and says she feels like a fool and an idiot, if she doesn't choose him by herself and is pushed into it (so: it's pride again?). He still doesn't understand, though he seems to be trying. So she feels he has been pushing her without pausing? Yes, she replies, he is even pushing her to the edge. He implores him to let her breath, to let her be. If he keeps pushing her, she really might not want to marry him. She promises that she will pick up his phone calls immediately in the future - but she needs a little more time.

Okay, I needed to spend quite some time on this conversation because it helps us understand what is going on between these two. More on that below. Plus because Kim Ji-hoon is so hot when he is angry-hurt. Established that already yesterday, yes, I know, but look at him! Just look!

He gets home, frustrated and depressed, where he runs into his mother. She has just taken a rose petal bath and has aches all over her body, from the little boxing match she had with her husband. Her son cannot hide from her how down he is, though he keeps denying that anything is wrong. She finally gets him to admit that he met with Ji-hye. His mother is kinda shocked that he went out so early to see that woman and deducts from it that they must be so crazy about each other that they cannot be apart even for a day. Not quite, Dragon Mamma. She immediately starts badmouthing his future bride and tells him she isn't pleased with his behavior at all either since she decided to marry that woman.

He is very polite, as always, with his "yes, I understand" - "yes, I will do as you say". But he has a question: He wants to know why Dragon Mother told his future wife not to bring the traditional wedding gifts. And, behold: we find out that his mother knows about the money he gave her. How? haha, she opened his account and checked :) She says it was to help his good-for-nothing-soon-to-be-politician brother.

 

We learn from the conversation that he has never liked to be rich since he was young and that he actively lied about his background, often. But his mother is not just an evil witch, she is also cunning and smart. She rather bluntly tells him that giving his money to this woman was a mistake, also because he surely didn't even ask her beforehand. Her being so difficult? Directly related to it. If his future bride would have been open about having too little money to buy the super expensive gifts expected in their circles, she would have been fine with it. But not after he gave her the money. Tae-wook apologizes and admits he made a mistake. Oh yes boy. And ... wait! There is a third son (or rather, second son? Tae-wook is the youngest)? He wants to know how that marriage was handled, but his mother cuts him off (like so often) and forbids him to talk about that brother and the woman he married. Interesting ...

Tae-wook's father is playing golf on what seems their very own private golf range. A might fine figure you have there, Kim Ji-hoon. I gulp as he walks towards them. The broadness of his shoulders! The slimness of his waist! Man, the discipline this guy must have ....

His father tells him he is embarrassed about his brother, the soon to be politician, and asks him to empty a prison cell, because he is absolutely certain he will end up in prison. If anything goes wrong with his brother, he needs to take responsibility and defend (or rather prosecute?) him. Tae-wook says his brother will do well, but his father says, no, he will do better. Yikes, this interaction is scaring me. From the incredulous look on Tae-wook's face, his father has never really given him any affection or recognition before. And it seems to scare him too.

 

Lot's of moping from the false OTP next. Endless Big Snore stuff, Pitiful Woman Stuff, Abused Wife Stuff, Career Woman Stuff. Lots of throwing up in different bathrooms. Then, finally, we get to Ji-hye, who is writing in her room. She hesitates and eyes her phone. What now ... you're miffed he isn't calling?

More Mopey stuff. At least we don't get to see them together too much. But ... more flashbacks?! And, especially: the SAME effing flashbacks over and over?! Stop it already!!

Ji-hye is going south. I mean that literally: She wants to go somewhere south to clear her head. Ah, to visit her father. While she leaves the broadcast, she calls Tae-wook, asking him why he didn't call. She was ready to answer his phone calls promptly, as she promised. He is rather curt with her. He says he didn't call because it felt cheap and degrading, that promise of hers. He finds it funny ... after not calling her for a week, she finally gets a call from her. If only you learnt your lesson, boy ...

 

He calls her ever so stubborn - she replies if he rather wanted her to be tender like grass. Impossible, he replies. But why is she calling him now? She is going home for a few days, she says. He wants to know why, she says it's to clear her head, because she has had a constant headache. And she wants to see her father.

Some words about The Big Snore are necessary. He goes to see his mother, the awesome Lady Choi at the hospital, where she is the head nurse (I think). She knows he is troubled because he got drunk all the time. Ohhhhhh, poooooor baby, I feel so sorry for you .... NOT

Oh, and I have an idea - she could marry the other Mopey's dad! Then the two Mopey's would be brother and sister! hahahaaaaa, fauxcest ftw! Anyway, she tells him about his (dead) father, and how he just didn't ask her out to date! When she finally asked him, it was all good, but then, he didn't ask to marry her! So, she said: don't be like this, let's get married! And then she tells him that he is like his father: too shy, too reserved. And she suggests that he takes action. No. I definitely don't like this. Tiny little thing you forgot to tell your mother there, right? The woman you like is engaged to be married to another man!

While Ji-hye is strolling through the orchard, Tae-wook arrives. I see he is being pushy and overbearing again (though I wonder how long it took him to go down there)! But he is oh so cute! Her father is delighted to see him (as I would be) and Tae-wook is truly delighted to see her dad.

But ... oh. my. god... The Big Snore is also there!!! And of course, he meets Ji-hye underneath the trees. And here I was, hoping I would be spared from more of this sugar-sweet romance stuff. But I am not. They meet, look at each other moping, and CUT! End of episode 6.

Other Stuff

- More (or rather, a lot of!) back story for Abused Wife! Who really knows how to kick and punch a punching bag ... at a small gym, somewhere out and away from The Palace. She goes and visits her relatives afterwards, who are poor... her mother, a brother, and sister with baby. Her father has been dead for years. She and her brother have a falling out. He is unemployed and she lectures him about it, after which the fight turns ugly and he sets her straight about her own hauty behavior. He yells at her that she never comes to visit with her husband or her children. She leaves, afterwards, telling her mother to please keep quiet about things, since her husband wants to get into politics. The scene in which her mother looks at pictures of her grandchildren, that she never gets to see, on the phone made me tear up. 
- The Career Woman's family is crazy, in an endearing kind of way. Yes, the more I see of them, the more I like them. And the interaction between the Career Woman and the uptight Director are great, too. She almost chokes him with his tie at Karaoke, he almost invites her in for tea. Afterwards, she gets her promotion.
- Pitiful Wife gets even more pitiful. It is hard to watch. She has a fit in the train (from throwing up too much? Or is something more fundamentally wrong with her?) and collapses on the floor, while her dick husband is having a good time with his beautiful Barbie. She is rushed to the hospital. Cheating Anchorman is just the worst kind of person. He is proud to have lied to his son about extending his business trip to have seksy-time with the Barbie. I hope you die a thousand deaths, you prick.
- And then, woah! Big surprise: Dragon Father asks Abused Wife to start working at his company and to hand over the housework to somebody else. He appoints her to the Board of Directors. All because he doesn't trust his son. Very interesting. It seems this woman is getting her power back. She still is the one I don't get at all, so I'm not unhappy to see more aspects of her. 

Comments

Things are progressing on some fronts, but not on others. Tae-wook and Ji-hye really don't get anywhere and it is pretty clear why. The long conversation in the beginning is telling because you see clearly why their relationship is not working: He does in fact listen to her, or at least tries to, but he does not understand her. She is like this being from another planet for him (I guess that is part of the allure) and things just do not register with him. Pushy? Why? Isn't this how things are done? And she, tightly wrapped in her prejudice-bubble, just believes he doesn't want to listen and understand her. So she does not even try talking to him like another human being. What also strikes me in this opening scene is how very different he is now in comparison when he is head over heel with her and tells her he will now date her. I think he is slowly starting to realize that his view of things might be part of the problem. At this moment, I am dying for him to find out about the other guy and the "infidelity" (though the drama tries hard to make it look okay, at least somewhat).

Another very interesting scene is the one with his mother. There is a little rebel hiding underneath the Good Son, a rebel that does not want to be rich, even hates it. It makes us understand why he hasn't told Ji-hye for so long about his background. He seems ashamed of it, even though he plays along (at least now). Maybe he got tired fighting it, and is trying to live in peace; that is what I get from his polite, detached answers when he talks to somebody older than him. His brother's decision to go into politics (and the certainty that things will go wrong) will change a lot of things for this family. And it is likely to greatly affect Tae-wook's life - most likely not in an easy way.