Can We Love? - Episode 20 FINAL (Recap)
We have reached the end of the road, my friends, and as so often in KDrama, the last episode wraps up each and every storyline nicely and neatly (and in the most uncreative way possible, but never mind). To my big surprise, I find this ending quite satisfactory (though very boring), as it manages to give me the sort of closure I needed. I was even quite touched by certain scenes. There were tears in my eyes. In the end, everybody (almost everybody) is happy! I am happy! Let's be happy together!
Episode 20
Gyu-shik returns to the hospital room, in which Ji-hyun is still sleeping - Ahn Do-young is back at the company (who said that thing about his eyebrows the other day on Twitter?! dammit! I cannot look at him the same!). Both of them think back to what happened just now, how Ahn hit Gyu-shik in the face (satisfactory much?) and told him he should have let go of Ji-hyun when he told him to. When he wanted to storm past Gyu-shik into the hospital room though, Gyu-shik held him back and said: Let's stop here.
They go to a cafe inside the hospital (with the weirdest green things hanging from the ceiling) and Do-young assures Gyu-shik that nothing happened between him and his wife. The apartment was a place for her to rest, nothing more. Sure, he wanted to meet her again ... He has been living in the past since breaking up with her, because it was the happiest time in his life for him. But she always put her family first. She always loved Gyu-shik - the more he tried to hold onto her, the more she distanced herself from him. It made him mad ... and sad. So when he told Gyu-shik to let go of Ji-hyun, it was actually something he told himself. It is him, Do-young that needs to let her go.
Back at the hospital bed, Gyu-shik is a broken man. He has finally realized how wrong he was and keeps searching Ji-hyun's impassive face for a sign of life. But there is none ... so he takes her hand and starts crying. At that point she opens her eyes. Her whole family (minus he kids) rushes to her side and they cry tears of relief, but she only has eyes for her husband.
When the family has to leave (it's the last time we seen them, so bye, bye! It was nice meeting you!), Gyu-shik promises to stay. And he is the sweetest and most attentive of husbands again. They don't talk much at first, but she then says that the studio is really a misunderstanding ... the hardest part for her after she decided to divorce him was to imagine him living by himself: without the children, without her. That broke her heart. How could she have cheated on him? And he finally believes her. He adds that he always wanted her by his side, even when he did the worst things to her, he thought she would ask him to take her back. So let's stop this, he says ... and takes her hand. Awwwwwwwwwwwwww. Shortly after, Sera comes running, and mother and daughter make up with lots of sorries and crying etc. etc. etc. All is forgiven and forgotten. It's a WRAP!
At the same time, the Tae-geuk crisis is being solved. First, Jung-wan meets her boring Ex, who is oh-so-sorry about his terrible mother. Sigh ... He will try to persuade her once again to let Tae-geuk, the poor boy, be. Yeah, good idea man. Tae-geuk isn't well at all, of course, with this tug-of-war all around him. Oh Kyung-soo thinks he is still angry with him for telling his mother that he cried and tries everything to please the boy (is he hungry? thirsty? both? nothing? They are really cute together). But to no avail, Tae-geuk is unmoved-resolute.
Jung-wan comes for a visit and tells Oh-boy that she will drop the drama
- she has no confidence in being able to do a good job in the current
circumstances with Tae-geuk. Oh come on! That evening, when Tae-geuk comes to the living room to wish Oh-boy a good night, Oh-boy gets him to stay and talk to him about his state of mind. Tae-geuk assures him that he isn't mad at him at all - but he is worried. He is worried that his mother will drop the drama because of him. This boy ... he will need massive psychoanalysis in the future. So young - but so burdened! Oh-boy is moved (and so am I) and promises Tae-geuk that he will make it alright: he will make sure that Jung-wan DOES the drama.
He gets Jung-wan an office and tells her to start using it. He might have been against her doing the drama because he wanted to get married asap and because he didn't want her to have a hard time. But that has changed: Of course she has to do it. And plus, Tae-geuk is worried that she is will not do it because of him. But ... she doesn't feel confident. I feel like kicking her!! She is sooooooo stupppppppid, she actually goes to Ahn and tells him she cannot do it. But Oh-boy, knowing her well by now, has told Ahn to wait for a whole week before actually complying with her request.
Joon-mo Ex is meeting up with Kyung-Joo Snotty. She is living well, she says, going on blind dates and stuff. But these men are all just interested in her money. Well, she will try anyway ... though there is nobody as nice as him. Should they start over? he asks. He realized that he will regret it if he let's her go. She starts crying and nods. It's a WRAP! Well done, people. Only ... I seriously wouldn't take him back after how he behaved. Idiot.
Anyway, the news of his re-marriage mollifies his stupid mother, who then promises to let Tae-geuk be. WTF. All these MILs should be thrown into jail for their behavior. Another WRAP! Tae-geuk can return to Jung-wan's apartment and Jung-wan can take the drama. It's a WRAP! In his car, she promises Oh to start using the office tomorrow. Will she trust him and follow him from now on, seeing he is always right? Yes, she says, if that means she will never need to thank him again. Fine with him, but she might have to thank him once more ... he made her business cards. With his phone number on it. In case they are fishy people, so that he can protect her. Before being a
world-renowned director, he wants to be renowned by her. Work hard, he says, so that we can get married in a year. And he really, really wants to see her in that wedding dress soon. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Gyu-shik has brought Ji-hyun home ... he puts her to bed and is all caring and loving. Never mind that he was an abusive fuck just a few hours ago. When the MILDragon comes in and throws a fit (i.e. accusing her of trying the pity card and telling her she might as well just die), Gyu-shik finally puts his foot down. He starts shouting at her and tells her he will cut his relationship with his mother if she doesn't stop tormenting his wife. Well, would you look at that?! Late ... but better late than never.
But now, Gyu-shik doesn't think he is worthy of Ji-hyun anymore (of course). He sits down next to her on the bed and tells her he will stop the divorce lawsuit. He will let her go with a consensual divorce. She can stay in the house with the kids - and he will give her all the money she needs (what about all the assets he wanted to give to his mother? I hope he hasn't already?). Live in dignity, he says. To show his mother. Of course, she turns it all down - she doesn't need those riches. Papperlapapp he says. When she was lying there in the hospital he asked himself how he would live if she didn't wake up? He prayed for the first time in his life. It's the least he can do.
He packs a suitcase and wants to leave the house in a really ugly blue jacket. Ji-hyun comes after him, though, and asks him where he is going at dinnertime? Have a meal. She made him a bean paste soup. He sits down and starts eating.. he looks like he will bust into tears any minute. She takes the suitcase back to their room and starts unpacking his things. It's a WRAP! This one felt right. Though I absolutely hate how the portray physical abuse and then pretend it's somewhat alright in KDrama.
More wraps as as Moon Eun-joo can come back to work for Sun-mi again. They need more people for that huge sunglasses-store remodeling thing. Moon gets to work with the new dude and she teaches him all there is to know. So irrelevant ... Moon also learns who the father of Sun-mi's baby is (that scene was quite funny, because she just insulted Sun-mi as crazy and the father of that kid as even crazier) and Yoon-Seok Puppy gets her to promise to look out for Sun-mi while he is gone.
Sun-mi buys Puppy an expensive jacket as a farewell present. He is touched and invites her to dinner the next evening. She goes to the restaurant but there is no Puppy. In fact, his friends have organized a surprise party for him - he will be 30 minutes late. The 30 minutes turn into more than 2 hours though and when he finally gets there, Sun-mi has left.
She is at home, eating alone. Puppy turns up at her door, all sorry - but she has nothing to say to him and won't let him in. Some time later, he is back - quite drunk. He threatens to break down the door if she doesn't open. She finally lets him in (yes, he sounded quite serious!) and asks what is going on with him. He says he is upset about spending their last night like this. And she hasn't answered his question for him: will she wait for him? Can't she tell him? She turns away, but he backhugs her. Does she really not know how he feels? he asks tearfully. She disentangles herself and flees to her room, visibly upset. When she comes back out, he has fallen asleep on her couch. She looks at him thoughtfully and covers him with a blanket.
When he wakes up the next morning, he realizes where he is and when Sung-mi opens door, he is so embarrassed he pretends to be still asleep. She knows he is awake though and the embarrassed young man goes to wash himself. Only the face though. Duh. After he comes out, there's breakfast on the table for him ... and though it is only an instant soup, he is SO HAPPY that she made food for him. It's incredibly cute. And now, she is ready to answer his question: She is not going to wait for him. Only waiting for two hours yesterday was already terrible. She cannot wait for two yeas. And who knows what will happen in that time? He might meet someone. His face falls ... oh Puppy ... she is not going to wait, she says ... but if fate wants it that their feelings are still aligned in two years, she will consider marrying him. Yes! Yes! Puppy is very happy about that and kisses her across the table.
It's time for their final goodbye ... she isn't going to accompany him to the airport. He waits there in front of her house until her car has disappeared, as per his wish to "see her leave". She doesn't cry, but when Moon is extremely nice to her right after and tells her that the reason is that she promised Puppy she would be there for her during her pregnancy and when Puppy sends a message that he is now in the plane and loves her, she finally does cry.
The MILDragon is in bed ... Ji-hyun comes in, with porridge. Let's talk woman to woman, she says. She is no longer afraid of anything after her near-death experience. She will stay with Gyu-shik and that means she will have to see MILDragon from time to time and vise-versa. So better be civil. If MILDragon isn't, she will tell Gyu-shik everything. MILDragon is defeated. It's a WRAP!
Ji-hyun calls Do-young ... one last time. There won't be any more reasons to meet him. She
learned how precious her family is to her - and with her family is where she has to be. She is
sorry and thankful to him. Goodbye. He cries. It's a WRAP! Dude, you really got the short end of the
stick. The only storyline I don't quite see wrapped up is the one with his daughter.
Jung-wan is working on her script. The filming has started and Oh-boy calls her every chance he gets. He mentions that it's cold and he isn't dressed warm enough - she mentions that the air in the office is a bit too dry. She goes to his house and packs a warm coat for him and takes it to the filming site. When she gets there though ... he isn't there. He is on his way to see HER, with a humidifier he got for her. Awwwwwwwwwwww. When they finally DO meet, they think it's pretty funny what just happened (cuuuuute). She in particular is very touched by how cute he is. And that is why she has a present for him ... cut to the wedding shop! When he sees her in the wedding dress, his mouth hangs open. There's nothing that makes a man's heart beat faster than seeing his bride in a wedding dress... uhm ... oh wait ... never mind.
They're at the wedding shop again, but there IS no wedding! The drama isn't quite done yet (like he said it would happen) - but his film has become hugely successful. He is super upset about the delay though, poor dude.
Ji-hyun is now a baking instructor. During one of her classes, Sera calls. She is in a coffee shop with high school friends. After she said bye to her mother, the adoption agency calls (conveniently) to tell her that her baby has gone to good parents. Sera gets to look a bit thoughtful. It's a WRAP!
It's Sun-mi's baby's 100 day celebration: Jung-wan and Ji-hyun are there to celebrate with her."That's how we turned 40, the age we so feared", Jung-wan says in voice over.
Moon asks Sun-mi at the office why Puppy hasn't come to the 100-day celebration - didn't he say he would come? He must be busy, says Sun-mi, looking a bit sad. But when she walks down the stairs after work, there he is!!! Pointing to his fancy jacket. They go and have wine together. Hasn't he become more stunning? he wants to know. He is sorry he couldn't come - but he had an important exam. He did really well - and it looks as if he will be finished earlier with his studies. He busts out the ring and puts it on her finger - he wants to marry her. It's a WRAP! Awwwwwwwwww!
Jung-wan gets word that the drama compilation date (whatever that is) is set ... it's done! She tuns to Oh with the news ... who he hugs her and smiles at her. She tells us in voice over that she realized something when she turned 40: that life brings a present called
tomorrow - and tomorrow brings a friend called hope. And that lovely friend called hope doesn't stab one in the back. No - it's a good friend. It tells us that we can love. Fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy warm feeeeels. Awwwwwwwwwww.
Comments
This drama lost its footing somewhere in the middle when its originality fell pray to some of the most dreadfully old and overused KDrama cliches. The only thing missing from the list was amnesia. A shame, really... But this ending was alright, so alright despite the cheesiness and the neatness that I am ready to forgive this drama those torture-episodes in the middle.
I will try to only remember those first few episodes that had me LOVE the writer and cable and the possibilities of difference in KDrama. I will try to remember only the wonderful performances by Uhm Tae-woon and Eugene (she did so well! Brava!) and especially, I will remember HIS wonderful character. Despite the pushiness that I HATE, it was so nice to see such an upright, talkative, honest, wonderful male character. I will forget those parts of Jung-wan's characters that annoyed me (like ... almost everything). I will remember Tae-geuk but not her mother. I will probably forget about Snotty Brat and Ex-husband. Booooooooring. I will forget how the destroyed Sun-mi's character with that bullshit scheme. I will only remember her redeemed self that finds happiness with one of the cutest men in the world (even though she probably doesn't deserve it). I will forget almost everything about Ji-hyun and Gyu-shik and the rest of that storyline. And I guess I will have to forget Ahn Do-young ... who really didn't have much of a story anyway. Poor man.
Here is to difference in KDrama! Let us get more of it. Thank you.
Episode 20
Gyu-shik returns to the hospital room, in which Ji-hyun is still sleeping - Ahn Do-young is back at the company (who said that thing about his eyebrows the other day on Twitter?! dammit! I cannot look at him the same!). Both of them think back to what happened just now, how Ahn hit Gyu-shik in the face (satisfactory much?) and told him he should have let go of Ji-hyun when he told him to. When he wanted to storm past Gyu-shik into the hospital room though, Gyu-shik held him back and said: Let's stop here.
When the family has to leave (it's the last time we seen them, so bye, bye! It was nice meeting you!), Gyu-shik promises to stay. And he is the sweetest and most attentive of husbands again. They don't talk much at first, but she then says that the studio is really a misunderstanding ... the hardest part for her after she decided to divorce him was to imagine him living by himself: without the children, without her. That broke her heart. How could she have cheated on him? And he finally believes her. He adds that he always wanted her by his side, even when he did the worst things to her, he thought she would ask him to take her back. So let's stop this, he says ... and takes her hand. Awwwwwwwwwwwwww. Shortly after, Sera comes running, and mother and daughter make up with lots of sorries and crying etc. etc. etc. All is forgiven and forgotten. It's a WRAP!
But now, Gyu-shik doesn't think he is worthy of Ji-hyun anymore (of course). He sits down next to her on the bed and tells her he will stop the divorce lawsuit. He will let her go with a consensual divorce. She can stay in the house with the kids - and he will give her all the money she needs (what about all the assets he wanted to give to his mother? I hope he hasn't already?). Live in dignity, he says. To show his mother. Of course, she turns it all down - she doesn't need those riches. Papperlapapp he says. When she was lying there in the hospital he asked himself how he would live if she didn't wake up? He prayed for the first time in his life. It's the least he can do.
Sun-mi buys Puppy an expensive jacket as a farewell present. He is touched and invites her to dinner the next evening. She goes to the restaurant but there is no Puppy. In fact, his friends have organized a surprise party for him - he will be 30 minutes late. The 30 minutes turn into more than 2 hours though and when he finally gets there, Sun-mi has left.
It's time for their final goodbye ... she isn't going to accompany him to the airport. He waits there in front of her house until her car has disappeared, as per his wish to "see her leave". She doesn't cry, but when Moon is extremely nice to her right after and tells her that the reason is that she promised Puppy she would be there for her during her pregnancy and when Puppy sends a message that he is now in the plane and loves her, she finally does cry.
1 Year Later
They're at the wedding shop again, but there IS no wedding! The drama isn't quite done yet (like he said it would happen) - but his film has become hugely successful. He is super upset about the delay though, poor dude.
THE END
Comments
This drama lost its footing somewhere in the middle when its originality fell pray to some of the most dreadfully old and overused KDrama cliches. The only thing missing from the list was amnesia. A shame, really... But this ending was alright, so alright despite the cheesiness and the neatness that I am ready to forgive this drama those torture-episodes in the middle.
I will try to only remember those first few episodes that had me LOVE the writer and cable and the possibilities of difference in KDrama. I will try to remember only the wonderful performances by Uhm Tae-woon and Eugene (she did so well! Brava!) and especially, I will remember HIS wonderful character. Despite the pushiness that I HATE, it was so nice to see such an upright, talkative, honest, wonderful male character. I will forget those parts of Jung-wan's characters that annoyed me (like ... almost everything). I will remember Tae-geuk but not her mother. I will probably forget about Snotty Brat and Ex-husband. Booooooooring. I will forget how the destroyed Sun-mi's character with that bullshit scheme. I will only remember her redeemed self that finds happiness with one of the cutest men in the world (even though she probably doesn't deserve it). I will forget almost everything about Ji-hyun and Gyu-shik and the rest of that storyline. And I guess I will have to forget Ahn Do-young ... who really didn't have much of a story anyway. Poor man.
Here is to difference in KDrama! Let us get more of it. Thank you.