Goddess of Marriage - Episode 23 (KimJiCap)
kakashi: 23 is my favorite number. Will episode 23 of GoM be my favorite episode though? Uhm .... maybe not.
JoAnne: I didn't hate this one.
kakashi: Me neither. But then, there is a BIG difference between love and didn't hate.
JoAnne: Wait ... What about the geeky undercover rich boy that knows the Doormat and loves the awful niece? What about the fact that AnchorDick is now the housekeeper for his sister -in-law?
Final Thoughts
JoAnne: I didn't hate this one.
kakashi: Me neither. But then, there is a BIG difference between love and didn't hate.
Episode 23 of one of the most torturous dramas I've ever watched, why did I decide to recap again? Ah, yes, Kim Ji-hoon. Kim Ji-hoon, see how I am suffering for you????
kakashi: Oh wow, the episode starts with a breakfast from hell! The mood is ... not chipper, but then, when was it ever? DragonMother seems to have a migraine. I hope her head burst open and her brain flows out. Missing from the Pleasure Table ... the NewNowFallenBiatch. Patron holds this military-sounding speech about how they need to get back their political and economic strength quickly and decisively. And everybody must be careful in the time to come ... all eyes are on them, and there cannot be any mistakes.
JoAnne: You know, just because Dad arranged for someone else to take the fall in public, why is he not punishing stupid worm son in some way? He totally blames him for it, it's not that he thinks he's innocent. He's protecting the name, not the person.
JoAnne: You know, just because Dad arranged for someone else to take the fall in public, why is he not punishing stupid worm son in some way? He totally blames him for it, it's not that he thinks he's innocent. He's protecting the name, not the person.
kakashi: Yes, it's lame. He said he would disinherit him and chase him from the house and stuff. Lame. LAME.
kakashi: What he really wants to say (LOL) is: do not breathe, do not squeak, do not do anything. If you make a mistake in the future, that's the end of you. When he shouts, the younger girl bursts out crying and is let from the table ... while DragonMother insults her and her mother. Tae-wook's intervention (as always, he only says "ommoni" in this agonized tone) is met with the usual disdain and counterattack on him, for being such a lousy prosecutor.
JoAnne: Seriously, this kid is what? 4? 5? I hate that fish-lipped woman. The kid is at fault for being a kid. The youngest son is at fault for not pulling some shady deal to protect the son who did shady deals. She's awful. Not to mention, like Grandma in Soon Shin - no matter what happens to anyone, it's actually only really about how terrible it is for HER.
JoAnne: Seriously, this kid is what? 4? 5? I hate that fish-lipped woman. The kid is at fault for being a kid. The youngest son is at fault for not pulling some shady deal to protect the son who did shady deals. She's awful. Not to mention, like Grandma in Soon Shin - no matter what happens to anyone, it's actually only really about how terrible it is for HER.
kakashi: Ah, the (annoying) JejuFriend makes a re-appearance! She is preggers. And in Seoul... has in fact been for 2 weeks. The two women meet. JejuFriend wanted a baby and got pregnant really quickly, but her musician husband (I'm so glad I don't have to see him!!!) doesn't want it! He wants her to have an abortion! (cause rockers don't have babies and more BS) Oh wow. The shows is going to new lows. The friend, who constantly hugs her belly, let's Ji-hye feel how the baby kicks ... that's a bit cruel, really ... and even though Ji-hye is very happy for her friend, there's a tinge of sadness in her face, too.
JoAnne: I don't find that friend annoying, I think she's cute. Maybe if she sticks around for a while I'll find her annoying. I doubt she has any idea Ji Hye can't get pregnant, they haven't been very close since the wedding. But I'm glad she's here now maybe it will shake things up.
JoAnne: I don't find that friend annoying, I think she's cute. Maybe if she sticks around for a while I'll find her annoying. I doubt she has any idea Ji Hye can't get pregnant, they haven't been very close since the wedding. But I'm glad she's here now maybe it will shake things up.
kakashi: I find everyone in this drama annoying.
kakashi: Ji-hye lets her JejuFriend stay with her ... in the house. That is .... an interesting development. Let's just say I'm glad the writer has a few more surprises in stock. I'm mentioning all of this because there is NO KIM JI-HOON to mention. Ji-hye assures her friend that it is ok - and that no in-law has ever come over. Don't jinx it!! Ji-hye tells her friend about her current half-dead life. Poor woman. She is so lonely.
JoAnne: I don't get the big deal. It's her home, she can have whomever she wants - as long as husband is ok with it, of course. It's his home, too. We never did figure out how many bedrooms it had. I'm hopeful having JujuChingu here will buck up the pouty princess a little bit.
JoAnne: I don't get the big deal. It's her home, she can have whomever she wants - as long as husband is ok with it, of course. It's his home, too. We never did figure out how many bedrooms it had. I'm hopeful having JujuChingu here will buck up the pouty princess a little bit.
kakashi: When Tae-wook gets home next (he only comes home 3 times a week, btw, and only to sleep), Ji-hye is doing some secret writing. And ... Surprise! Somebody else is here! Will she sleep in your bed as well? While you're on the couch? But upon hearing what has happened, he is totally cool with her staying with them. Of course: Cause Tae-wook really is an okay kind of person. I hear the warning, though ... make sure the servants keep quiet about it.
JoAnne: It was nice of him, I agree. He recovered quickly. I mean, I know he's not there much, but damn, when he is you figure he probably doesn't want a guest around, and he didn't make a peep.
JoAnne: It was nice of him, I agree. He recovered quickly. I mean, I know he's not there much, but damn, when he is you figure he probably doesn't want a guest around, and he didn't make a peep.
kakashi: Oh dear. Ji-hye cooks for her friend - wow, she looks happy! And BOOM, the door opens and the DRAGON enters. And starts her usual abusive BS - she was tipped off by one of her rich friends that Ji-hye has started to work again. JejuFriend leaves in horror, Ji-hye follows in horror. JejuFriend assures her she is going to be fine, no need to be sorry - but be strong, Ji-hye!
JoAnne: ohhh my Goddddddddd the fucking tears again. SHUT UP.
JoAnne: ohhh my Goddddddddd the fucking tears again. SHUT UP.
kakashi: When Ji-hye gets back to the house, DragonMother is ripping her computer off the table and throws it to the floor. It breaks immediately. Samsung? Terrible quality. But This? Really the most horrible scene in the whole show for me. Total violation of everything that Ji-hye likes. Ji-hye shouts to stop immediately - and her MIL does, dumbfounded...
JoAnne: You GO, girl, I shouted hopefully, praying that this was the thing that would turn FishLips into a human being who saw other living beings as sentient organisms with feelings, also.
JoAnne: You GO, girl, I shouted hopefully, praying that this was the thing that would turn FishLips into a human being who saw other living beings as sentient organisms with feelings, also.
kakashi: I read orgasm.
kakashi: Tae-wook, who does not yet know about the storm brewing at his place, meets the Slimebag. Who insults him thoroughly and warns him: He'll chase his crappy family to the end of the world. Poor guy can't catch a break ...
JoAnne: So I can see why this guy (and probably everyone else) ASSUMES that TaeWook took care of his brother...and damn, that's a hard spot for Tae Wook to be in. If he seriously wants to be taken seriously, he's got to break ties with his awful horrible terrible family.
JoAnne: So I can see why this guy (and probably everyone else) ASSUMES that TaeWook took care of his brother...and damn, that's a hard spot for Tae Wook to be in. If he seriously wants to be taken seriously, he's got to break ties with his awful horrible terrible family.
kakashi: His phone rings ... it's his mother, hysterical... does he know what his wife did now?! Get home! Get home immediately! And he does.
JoAnne: Son of a bitch. He better not be mad at his wife. If Lafer is right and he really is an asshole, then my warming up over the past few weeks is going to piss me right the fuck off. It don't take much these days, people. I'm just tired tonight or I'd still be ranting about Fish Lips yelling at the little girl. Be grateful that I'm tired, I guess?
kakashi: He runs up the stairs to their house, calling for his wife ... he seems really worried. But will he finally DO something?
JoAnne: The relief that I feel is akin to waking up and realizing that I am NOT actually standing in the office completely nude while people point and stare. No, I have never had that dream. Just making a point.
JoAnne: The relief that I feel is akin to waking up and realizing that I am NOT actually standing in the office completely nude while people point and stare. No, I have never had that dream. Just making a point.
kakashi: He finds her sitting among the shambles of her former self. Crying quietly. Now it has happened: I hate him too for what he is putting her through - what he has done to her by marrying her, selfishly.
JoAnne: I wrote a whole big long rant here. I don't hate him for this. I hate her for this. I don't really feel sorry for her at all. It's a problem for me, I think. What they were doing was as abusive to her emotional state as beating her would have been to her body, and yet because I think she was a whiny princess I have no sympathy for her. If they'd beat her, I would have. So I think I'm in the wrong but I can't feel differently yet. It's like trying to tell a depressed person 'just cheer up and things will look better.' Don't work like that...I know it, but I don't feel it, and so I look at her and I just feel impatient. So now I've written another long rant. I hate the others , who are caricatures of terrible people...but she's a person I just dislike.
JoAnne: I wrote a whole big long rant here. I don't hate him for this. I hate her for this. I don't really feel sorry for her at all. It's a problem for me, I think. What they were doing was as abusive to her emotional state as beating her would have been to her body, and yet because I think she was a whiny princess I have no sympathy for her. If they'd beat her, I would have. So I think I'm in the wrong but I can't feel differently yet. It's like trying to tell a depressed person 'just cheer up and things will look better.' Don't work like that...I know it, but I don't feel it, and so I look at her and I just feel impatient. So now I've written another long rant. I hate the others , who are caricatures of terrible people...but she's a person I just dislike.
kakashi: He sits her on the couch, brings her a glass of water. Her face is blank and stony. He sits down, sighing. Seriously, Tae-wook, I feel like kicking you.
JoAnne: I do agree that it's time for him to make a decisive move, if that's where you're going with this. It might be too late, but if he has ANY chance of saving his marriage or his professional reputation, it's right now.
JoAnne: I do agree that it's time for him to make a decisive move, if that's where you're going with this. It might be too late, but if he has ANY chance of saving his marriage or his professional reputation, it's right now.
kakashi: But Ji-hye saves my day. And this episodes. "Divorce me", she says. Yes!
JoAnne: What?!!! Whiny princess makes a move before the half-clueless prince can say a thing!
JoAnne: What?!!! Whiny princess makes a move before the half-clueless prince can say a thing!
The Rest (Limited Edition)
kakashi: FallenBiatch keeps hiding in her room. Flashback to her pleading to save her brother - but ... no. Of course not. Better a lowlife like her brother goes to prison for three years than somebody from the Kang family, right? It's hard to argue with that logic... DickBrother
suddenly busts the door open, interrupting her dark thoughts. He is
there to ... what exactly? Is he gloating? He tells her he would divorce
her immediately, if it weren't for her brother, taking the fall for
her. I hate it that he seems to be safe now. For now, I hope.
JoAnne: Seriously how many days hunched by the bed is it now? And oh, DickBrother...how I hope you and your incredibly irritating way of speaking just get syphilis or something.
JoAnne: Seriously how many days hunched by the bed is it now? And oh, DickBrother...how I hope you and your incredibly irritating way of speaking just get syphilis or something.
kakashi: But the actor does a really good job at playing this Asshole.
kakashi: Much later, we find out what her "sin" is. Her lover jumped. Heartbroken. But ... he didn't die (even though it looked very high). Since, his lower body is paralyzed. Yeah. That part, too. When FallenBiatch finds out about it, she runs to see him, not caring about the fact that all the students there know her. And a sobfest ensues.
JoAnne: Now that I get why everyone thought she knew, I understand why they hated her so much. Because really, she left a man for another man who had more money. It really doesn't deserve 8 years of venom.
JoAnne: Now that I get why everyone thought she knew, I understand why they hated her so much. Because really, she left a man for another man who had more money. It really doesn't deserve 8 years of venom.
kakashi: The Snore ... *sigh*. Unlucky bastard. First, he gets angry over the assumption (and rumors) that he will start working at his future FIL's company. Because that would be .... a logical and not very bad idea? Then, he has to go see his future wife, who is all dressed, trying on outfits for the engagement ceremony. Man, this is such a miserable pair ... I hate their conversations. HATE them. And I'm starting to feel sorry for The Annoyance... this man doesn't love her at all, like nobody ever loved her. Yeah, I'm a big mushy
softy, really. Show me a pathetic character long enough and I buckle.
JoAnne: Plus he's cute. And let's face it, he must have been awesome in bed.
kakashi: Alright, and then there is that lengthy exchange between his and her mother ... about why it is absolutely necessary to live in the Gangnam villa and send the future child to this and this and this school and ... "Your son's stubbornness is ruining our future generation". After that, The Snore's Mother once again demands to know from him why the F he wants to marry into such a family. Because marriage isn't just about the partner ... it is also about the family. Ergo: this marriage? It leads straight to hell. The Snore says to trust him - but his mother says she is against the union, and will always be. Well, sorry Mamma .... cause -----> this happens.
JoAnne: Loved how HIS mother laid out all the reasons why Ji Hye was doomed when she married into Tae Wook's family.
JoAnne: Plus he's cute. And let's face it, he must have been awesome in bed.
JoAnne: Loved how HIS mother laid out all the reasons why Ji Hye was doomed when she married into Tae Wook's family.
JoAnne: Wait ... What about the geeky undercover rich boy that knows the Doormat and loves the awful niece? What about the fact that AnchorDick is now the housekeeper for his sister -in-law?
kakashi: Can't be bothered by those storylines anymore. But thanks for mentioning them (btw, JoAnne, I hear people are afraid to comment on here because they like the couples we hate? People! Comment! A) we do not bite (only sometimes) and B) this is only a drama.)
Final Thoughts
kakashi: The other day, while discussing this drama on Twitter, we came to the conclusion that part of the issue so many people have with it is that it is
"too realistic". And that makes it rather painful to watch. Why do we watch KDramas? Not always, but often to
escape reality. To escape the burdens of everyday life, to experience
butterflies, to swoon .... GoM doesn't do any of this. It is full of
terrible, hateful people. The few characters that are good (like Tae-wook and Ji-hye
and, also, The Snore and his Annoyance) are bogged down in family-hell, unable to break out and unable to be happy.
JoAnne: I wrote this whole big long thing about how it's not realistic at all but when you get into the core elements of the relationships between the husbands and wives, it kind of is. Or can be, for some. Exaggerated for TV and completely biased toward the side of 'marriage sucks, kids', but yeah. There's core elements there that are truthful. It's too bad that you can't really see it since it's couched in such melodramatic, over-exaggerated terms. I was married to DickBrother, and I barely even recognized it because the story is so ridiculous. So thanks, yeah. Because I wanted to think about that again.
JoAnne: I wrote this whole big long thing about how it's not realistic at all but when you get into the core elements of the relationships between the husbands and wives, it kind of is. Or can be, for some. Exaggerated for TV and completely biased toward the side of 'marriage sucks, kids', but yeah. There's core elements there that are truthful. It's too bad that you can't really see it since it's couched in such melodramatic, over-exaggerated terms. I was married to DickBrother, and I barely even recognized it because the story is so ridiculous. So thanks, yeah. Because I wanted to think about that again.
 |
| Goddess of Marriage Hell Fire |
kakashi: Hm. Well, the drama is still annoying me to hell and back, but maybe, just maybe! things are starting to look up? Are the characters starting to DO something about their terrible lives?! Well, not the Snore, cause he is going right INTO a terrible life, with his eyes open. There are many parallels between him and Ji-hye. Both are marrying somebody they do not fully love. Both marry into a family way beyond their current status. Both are marrying people with terrible mothers. Both are marrying sorry figures, who are really not to blame for the terribleness of their family. What this is supposed to tell us? I have no clue.
JoAnne: They can't end up with the same fate. We have to have one die a terrible lonely death, at least. Maybe it will be the poorly retro-fitted HandiVan driven by the forsaken lover in a wheelchair...he can't stop it from running one of them over because his legs don't work so he can't use the brakes.
kakashi: The Snore is so pathetic. The only woman (beyond his mother) that he feels deeply connected to, Ji-hye,
is beyond reach, forever. But he listens to her broadcasts, and every time
he does, he feels the loss, or rather,
the-what-could-have-been keenly and brutally. She has realized by now that their romance is nothing but a total illusion - but has he? And even if he does, will it change things? Believing in an illusion is much easier than facing real life. Thinking about the thing that could have been might become an even bigger consolation in his near future.
JoAnne: So you believe that she believes what she told him she believes?
kakashi: Yes, I think she has moved on for good now - but let's see what happens when she next meets him on the bridge or the SnoreCafé.
kakashi: Ji-hye on the other hand does not lie when she says she made a choice (for Tae-wook) and that is it, end of discussion. And she just made another ... a good one, and for all the right reasons. Not for mopey-dopey stuff and lingering hopes for a romance that never was anything more than a fling. No, this divorce is now something she needs in order to be able to live. And she has an absolute right to ask it of him - because he has failed as a
husband. He is not protecting her from the horrors of his family. He is not providing her with a home in which she can feel comfortable. If he truly loves her, he should
let her go.
JoAnne: I do agree with this. He didn't pay enough attention. Granted, she made it easy to ignore by complaining about EVERYTHING every minute, but still. Either they get divorced now, or he breaks ties with his family now and they go away together. However spineless she is, she doesn't belong in that family and shouldn't have to stay in a place where she's miserable, even if half the misery is in her own head.
kakashi: But Kim Ji-hoon .... would you please choose a more pleasant drama next time???!!! Yes?!
JoAnne: Come to Mama. I've got some ideas for what you could do next.
JoAnne: They can't end up with the same fate. We have to have one die a terrible lonely death, at least. Maybe it will be the poorly retro-fitted HandiVan driven by the forsaken lover in a wheelchair...he can't stop it from running one of them over because his legs don't work so he can't use the brakes.
JoAnne: So you believe that she believes what she told him she believes?
kakashi: Yes, I think she has moved on for good now - but let's see what happens when she next meets him on the bridge or the SnoreCafé.
JoAnne: I do agree with this. He didn't pay enough attention. Granted, she made it easy to ignore by complaining about EVERYTHING every minute, but still. Either they get divorced now, or he breaks ties with his family now and they go away together. However spineless she is, she doesn't belong in that family and shouldn't have to stay in a place where she's miserable, even if half the misery is in her own head.
JoAnne: Come to Mama. I've got some ideas for what you could do next.
kakashi: Awaaaaaay from him, GrabbyHands, he is MINE.
