Prime Minister and I: Episode 4

by gummimochi

Soooo… that happens. But don’t you worry, there are plenty of other things that happen, too. This episode goes for the heartfelt emotions and lets sincerity and earnest feelings shine through, even in the midst of the world’s most rushed wedding charade.

Then it’s as if I want to tell Da-jung that she’s treading in dangerous waters by taunting an experienced man and drawing close to him like that. He’s got three kids, after all. But this is all part of the contract you two wrote up, right?

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Hyun-joong – “Marry You” [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

EPISODE 4 RECAP

Da-jung is stunned by Yul’s decision to marry her, though he makes sure to clarify that he’s agreeing to a contract marriage, not a real one. He already knows about her father’s condition, which momentarily makes her wonder if he’s agreed out of pity, but he says that isn’t the case here.

They each have their own interests at heart in the matter, Yul explains, and though he doesn’t know why, little Man-se seems to like her. There’s no time to lose and she needs to make a decision. So what’ll it be?

Now we learn what influenced Yul’s decision: he was previously called in to see the president, who was concerned that exposing the marriage rumors as false would invite more unwanted attention towards the government.

So they go ahead with the marriage announcement, and though Yul knows that it isn’t necessarily the right decision, it’s the best decision he can make for everyone. They don’t have any other choice and he can’t retract the statement.

When In-ho blames himself for these turn of events, Hye-joo tells him to do his job properly so that the prime minister doesn’t make this mistake again. She stops in her tracks when In-ho asks if she’s okay, but turns to say that she has no reason to be upset over a fake marriage, even though he seems to be.

As Da-jung hands out wedding invitations, she warns her Scandal News team that no photography is allowed at the wedding. I love how they’re like, Suuuurrree, okay *wink wink*.

But when they ask whether they’re getting a pre-nup like all the celebs do, she runs out in a panic, having just realized that she’s forgotten the most important part of the contract marriage: a contract.

Yul scoffs at the idea, but he humors her and listens to her demands to keep their personal lives (and sleeping arrangements!) separate, no verbal or physical abuse, and work to be sincerely kind to each other’s families, as he silently nods along on occasion.

Feeling rather proud of herself, she cheerily hands him a copy… and he tears it in half. HA. But that’s because Yul argues that if they’re going to write up a contract at all, they should go about it properly.

Cut to: Yul and Da-jung sitting down to define the terms of said contract with epic music playing in the background. She takes issue with being written as the promisor, but he reminds her she was the one who proposed first. Well, fine then.

He rattles off the conditions (played out by hilarious imaginary scenarios) which states that the fake marriage stands until his prime ministership ends, with the possibility for indefinite extension. Da-jung: “But why would that happen?!”

Furthermore, her wifely duties will require a classy and elegant fashion sense accompanied by modest behavior, and while they’ll have separate sleeping arrangements, she must be prepared to occasionally share a room—to keep up the ruse of course—but does that in no way give her permission to (literally) get touchy-feely with him. Pffffft.

She points out that there isn’t a clause for his husbandly duties, so he writes in one line: to cooperate with loyalty. The end. Hahahaha.

Da-jung calls this highly unfair—what will they do in the case he actually does fall for her? He firmly assures her that won’t ever happen (“Or are you hoping that I will?”), and they seal the deal.

She leaves head hanging, but can’t shake off the anxious feeling about the terms of this contract marriage.

Madam Na is worried about the impending marriage too, to which her husband Joon-ki says it’s her fault for picking a fight with Da-jung in the first place. Fuming at the idea of Yul getting re-married, he decides to send the lovebirds a wedding present.

Meanwhile Da-jung goes ring shopping with her new idol best friend (the same one who previously lent her the black dress), but she gasps and runs from the expensive price tag.

Back in his study Yul wonders to himself what’s gotten into him to write up such a ridiculous contract. He tucks it in his drawer, but there’s an ominous mood that suggests it won’t stay there for long.

He’s then promptly called into the office and exchanges terse words in jondae with Joon-ki. The argument over the strained budget remains professional yet distanced, and ends with Yul ordering him to revise his report yet again.

Joon-ki then drops in banmal to point out that Yul looks too somber for a man who’s about to get married, adding that he at least seemed happy about marrying his sister.

Yul ponders over those words later as he holds his old wedding rings. He flashes back to when he was shopping for them with his late wife, and then quickly tucks the box away when he’s told that Da-jung is on her way.

Yul has his kids line up to greet her, and eldest Woo-ri asks if they’re to address Da-jung as “Mom.” Yul thinks on it for a minute before answering that they don’t have to.

Da-jung arrives with her father, who fawns over Yul and the children. But Dad earns perplexed looks all around when he mistakes the kids as hers and asks when she gave birth to all of them.

In-ho is surprised to learn that Dad is terminal and suffers from dementia. He asks if Hye-joo knew beforehand, then blinks back tears, feeling guilty for his previously harsh words.

Dad addresses his concerns to Yul like any father-in-law would, saddened by the thought of having his only daughter marry a man with children. Through tears, he issues the stern warning that he better not make his daughter cry. Aw, Dad.

Da-jung whispers at her father not to go overboard, but Yul can see how much her father adores her. In a gentle voice, Yul apologizes and thanks Dad for giving away such a precious daughter to him.

“I cannot promise that life won’t be difficult for her or that I will make her happy,” Yul says. “But while we are married, I assure you that there won’t ever be a reason for Da-jung to shed a tear because of me.” Excuse me while I swoon here for a minute.

Da-jung meets with Man-se afterward, who adorably says he’ll only call her “Mom” after she makes him a mountain of paper frogs and squares.

She does finally gets to speak with Woo-ri and Na-ra, who make it perfectly clear that they have no intention to treat her like a mother. They are of course, model children in front of their father, and the about-face completely baffles her.

Once they leave, Yul assures her that he knows his kids to be well-mannered and won’t cause her any trouble. Yeahhh, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Yul is informed that the budget is currently strained like Joon-ki had reported, though the problem seems to lie in a curiously large budget for an environmentalist project backed by Joon-ki’s side. In-ho is told to look into it.

In-ho also reports that Da-jung’s father called, adding that he didn’t know that her father was ill. But that’s why it weighs heavier on his heart, Yul says gravely; he wonders if Dad would approve of his daughter marrying a widowed father that easily if he were healthy.

Yul adds that Dad probably would have been happier if his daughter ended up with a young, single man like In-ho.

After a rough time choosing wedding dresses, Da-jung meets with Yul, who’s about two steps away from flipping his lid. He shows her an uploaded photo of Da-jung and the idol going ring shopping that caused a storm on the internet.

She confirms that it is her picture, but she was merely browsing. He asks if this is all a game to her—did she want to go through the motions of wedding preparations that badly? Da-jung starts to explain herself, but then asks why she can’t because she’s a woman, too.

With a scoff, Yul asks if she wanted to create her own Cinderella story. She counters what kind of fairytale would have a prince with a short temper and a princess getting so much hate.

He reminds her that she was the one who brought up the topic of marriage first, but she retorts that she doesn’t want to go through with it either. He says he would have never agreed to this deal if he knew she was this pathetic, but Da-jung just calls his bluff and says they should call the whole thing off then.

Their heated argument is interrupted when Yul is called away to a meeting. He tells her to wait for him here. “That’s an order.” Is that your way of getting people to listen to you?

Da-jung storms out with her head held high (though she agrees to wait for him, heh) and Na-ra spots her leaving with a smirk. That’s because Da-jung is on the receiving end of one of her pranks, her hands now firmly glued together from what she thought was soap.

Na-ra rubs it in before skipping away, and the housekeeper makes a thinly-veiled barb that they’ll eventually come apart before doing so by force (the insult also carries the meaning that Da-jung will leave them).

Hands now glue-free, she asks Yul how much longer she has to wait when she sees him next. Yul says he’s going to wash his hands… and Da-jung bolts up to stop him.

But she slaps her hand down on top of his in her efforts, effectively bonding their hands together. HAHAHA. Insta-skinship!

They have no choice but wait for the glue to wear off, and interestingly, Da-jung doesn’t reveal who was behind the prank. They start to bicker, unintentionally splashing water in each other’s faces.

Problem is, Yul can’t afford to push off the rest of his day’s schedule, and the helicopter is waiting, so he has no choice but to take Da-jung with him, holding hands.

Joon-ki is informed that Yul is on his way to inspect the polluted stream. He seethes, wondering if Yul intends to take this fight to the end.

Meanwhile, a call comes in and Da-jung has to physically reach into Yul’s jacket to take it for him, as In-ho looks on with a dark expression. The entire process of taking the call and putting his phone back leads to another round of bickering, and at one point, they literally butt heads. Hehe.

When they arrive, Yul helps Da-jung out of the helicopter, and the image of the two holding hands certainly gives off the appearance of an affectionate couple.

Having overheard Da-jung’s name though the call, Hye-joo wonders what Da-jung is doing with the prime minister. But her train of thought is interrupted when Joon-ki greets her and asks if she’s here working while Yul is off with wedding prep.

Hye-joo turns to leave, but Joon-ki has one more thing to ask: “Are you okay?” It’s the second time she’s been asked that question, and he’s genuinely asking if she’s okay with Yul getting married again. She says that she’s fine.

In-ho and Da-jung chat while Yul works nearby, their hands now separated. He apologizes for being harsh with her when he didn’t even know about her father’s condition, but she understands where he would get the wrong idea.

She playfully teases that she won’t get over it that easily, and In-ho wonders in a slightly strained voice what he has to do to be forgiven by the “madam.” The formal term of address gives them both pause.

In-ho breaks the silence by asking if they really plan to call the marriage scheme off. He admits that he initially thought it was a bad idea, but now he doesn’t think so. He says the decision is hers, and he’ll support her no matter what.

Yul surprises everyone by walking into the stream himself to inspect the pollution levels. He’s disturbed that the locals were told to clean it beforehand for his benefit, and orders his staff to check the water quality levels and report back to him.

Citing that Da-jung needs to do her part to pay for the helicopter ride, Yul plops the dead fish from his hands into hers. She shrills.

Da-jung joins him after collecting samples of the area, and he picks up where they left off in their conversation. Does she still not want to go through with this marriage?

Da-jung finally admits that she was scared and wanted to run away, overwhelmed by the thought of becoming the prime minister’s wife.

She guesses that he wouldn’t be able to understand, but he says he had a desire to run away every time he was faced with a greater responsibility in his career. “Because I was afraid.”

“But being afraid doesn’t become a reason that you can use to run away,” he finishes. Da-jung asks if it’s okay if she doesn’t do well, as long as she doesn’t run away. She promises to do her best, regardless. That gets him to smile, and they shake on it.

Wedding day comes ’round, and In-ho does his best to calm Da-jung’s pre-wedding jitters, telling her that she looks beautiful but awkward. He adds haltingly, “It’s awkward for me to stand here seeing you like this.”

She misinterprets that to think that she looks awkwardly stilted, and her veil comes lose. He leans in close to fix it for her… which is when Yul barges in to see them together.

After In-ho leaves, Yul reminds her of the clause in their contract about her proper decorum. Da-jung argues that In-ho is his aide, but he says that she needs to be more careful about being seen with other men.

He asks when her father will arrive and is alarmed to hear that the Scandal News team will be in attendance. He instructs her to keep a tight rein on them, and she asks him to leave already, exasperated.

But before he leaves, Yul drops a box in her hands and she gasps, wondering where Yul found the time in his busy schedule to buy a ring. Yul: “What d’you mean? I bought it off the internet.” HA.

She gripes, but concedes that a ring is a ring, and he takes issue with her white dress. At that statement, Da-jung gets up in a panic and asks if she can’t wear a hanbok for the wedding instead.

The reason has to do with Dad, who mistakes any woman wearing white for his late wife, who was a cook. That explains why he referred to his doctor as his wife, and then the editor boss realizes that Da-jung is wearing a white wedding dress.

Which is why it’s extra sad when Dad fawns over Da-jung and calls her “honey,” pushing Yul away from who he thinks is his wife. Da-jung can only scream at her father through tears to come to his senses, crying that he has to recognize her on her wedding day.

But Dad doesn’t blink an eye, and they’re told that it would be difficult for Dad to attend in his current state.

Yul asks for some more time and checks in with Da-jung. She slaps on a brave face and says they have to get going. Noticing the snow falling outside, Yul wonders if it’s the first snowfall.

The sight has Da-jung think back to how her father said he’d be happy to live long enough to walk her down the aisle holding her hand. (Note: my mistake earlier; the words “to hold hands” and “grandkids” sound similar to the ears.)

The thought brings tears to her eyes, as she speaks to her father in voiceover, telling him that she granted his wish by getting married today, even if she’s not holding his hand. Yul sees her tears and holds out a hand as if to comfort her, but stops himself.

“They say that your wish comes true at the first snowfall,” Da-jung continues. “Then my wish… my wish is…” …and it’s at that moment that Dad returns to his senses.

Da-jung wipes her tears and blows into Yul’s handkerchief before returning it. Ha, I love that she’s so delightfully ungraceful. He looks a little horrified at first, but then breaks into a smile.

Dad arrives just then near tears, and father and daughter share a tearful embrace.

It’s showtime, and at the bride entrance (Man-se’s the only one of the three kids who’s actually excited, aw) Da-jung walks down with Dad hand-in-hand. It’s heartbreaking how Dad earnestly asks that Yul take good care of his daughter before giving her away.

Hye-joo finds Joon-ki drinking alone afterward. Turns out he called her out here, and when she turns to leave, he takes her by the wrist.

He says that he thought he would be comforting Hye-joo today, but he’s the one who needs to be comforted because he was reminded of his sister.

She joins him and calls him sunbae, finding that address more appropriate today. But Joon-ki gets a text while he’s gone, and though Hye-joo picks up his phone, we don’t get to see if she checks it.

Why do I find that shot of Yul and Da-jung sitting on opposite ends of the couch so awksomely hilarious? Yul receives a call for Dad with the hint for grandkids (ha) and Da-jung hurriedly hangs up the call.

He tells her to leave his bedroom so that he can get some sleep, but she designates this room as her bedroom. He says that they never agreed that this would be her room, but she uses the same argument on him, and then lies on the bed, refusing to budge.

Now it’s her turn to give him a taste of his own medicine as she backs him into the wall (rawr), asking if he wants to sleep in the same room, in the same bed. He’s not hoping for what comes next, right?

Growing uncomfortable, he relents but tells her that this isn’t the end. Hee. He retreats to his study, and then decides that they need to write up a new contract.

Yul walks out and run into Da-jung, who has just received a call from Hye-joo that there’s a spy within the estate. Completely oblivious, he keep rambling on about how they have to revise the contract, ignoring her attempts to shush him.

Seeing no other option in sight, Da-jung kisses him to shut him up. Well, that’ll do it.

COMMENTS

Ooh, smoochies so soon? Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but I like a girl who can think on her feet and is a tad impulsive. Sure her foot-in-mouth tendencies and the “act before you think” mentality gets her in trouble sometimes, but Da-jung has just enough spontaneity in her that makes her a nice foil to Yul’s rigid and principled character. So if an unplanned kiss is the ticket to get his attention, then I vote for more kisses.

What I like about our leading couple (er, since they are “married” now) is that they’re both decent people who care about their families. It’s a different kind of opposites-attract approach than other dramas that stressed classism or alternate selves or loveless arranged marriages. But what I appreciate most of all in this setup is that even though the dramaverse dictates that they don’t have a choice in the matter of the sham marriage, they still leave the decision open for the other to choose to press forward or not. And if they didn’t get married, we would be robbed of the world’s most awksome wedding night.

Dad’s storyline was a major standout in this hour, and I loved the moment when he broke down in tears in front of Yul, overwhelmed by the emotions of giving his only daughter away. I love that we could see that sense of understanding on Yul’s face of how much a father adores and cherishes his daughter. There’s a sincerity that comes across in Yul’s words then since he’s also a father who knows how precious his little one is (even if he has a tough time expressing it). Then the earnestness in his voice to make sure she doesn’t cry because of him… well, I’m a goner.

It was so heartbreaking then to see Dad continue to deteriorate in front of their eyes, especially when he couldn’t recognize Da-jung, who wanted to fulfill his wish. What more could you ask of a girl who regards her father’s happiness as more important than her own?

Given how much I adore our married couple, I hope that the show can continue to flesh out our second leads, who seem to be following the typical one-sided pining crush trajectory resulting in misunderstandings and bits of jealousy thus far. I did find In-ho’s words in the previous episode harsh considering how little he knew about Da-jung, but the quick turnaround and apology allows us to move on… to his nursing crush. Well, we’ll leave that there for now.

Hye-joo on the other hand, is another interesting character whose interactions with Joon-ki makes me raise a suspicious eyebrow. It’s clear that she interested, but what is interesting is that the revenge-fueled brother-in-law does seem to be interested in her. A part of me wonders what kind of history they have besides being college sunbae-hoobae, and also a bit sad for his wife, who’s harmless at this point but hilarious all the same. The marriage isn’t a happy one (at least for him), but at least we’re given a clue that Yul’s marriage to his late wife was indeed, happy.

Which then brings us back to our bickering couple whose mutual respect for each other (whether they realize that they do or not) leaves me impressed. I love that they both have short tempers and aren’t afraid to call a spade a spade. I’ll continue to enjoy watching them stick to their denial for as long as it lasts, but at least I know that they’re now stuck together.

RELATED POSTS

• Prime Minister and I: Episode 3
• Prime Minister and I: Episode 2
• Prime Minister and I: Episode 1
• Contract marriage hijinks in store for Prime Minister and I
• Second teaser and more stills for Prime Minister and I
• First teaser and meet-cute for Prime Minister and I