128

Emergency Couple: Episode 14

Unable at first to put Ji-hye’s wise counsel into practice, Chang-min takes a giant step back and suffers a sharp reminder of past wounds inflicted, and hurtful words spoken that can never be taken back. Meanwhile, both Chun-soo and Jin-hee have declarations to make, and the new insights they both gain about the other may change their relationship forever.

 

EPISODE 14 RECAP

In the pouring rain, Chun-soo insists on seeing Jin-hee to the door under the cover of his jacket. A hurt and angry Chang-min watches as Chun-soo finally drives away.

Flipping through the book that she has borrowed from Chun-soo, Jin-hee reads aloud: “As you live with diligence, some dots will be sprinkled in life. What seems like meaningless dots, come together to become stars. We only have our own dots and our own stars.”

At the hospital the next day, Chang-min sees Jin-hee getting into an elevator and decides to wait for the next one. Observing this, Ji-hye tells him that there’s no need to avoid Jin-hee altogether. He smiles ruefully, and admits that waiting is difficult and frustrating.

The ambulance brings in a young boy patient, who suffered a fall at a playground. He’s got a pulled elbow, possible fractures, and a contusion on his shoulder.

Yong-gyu treats an elderly patient who has suffered from an incessant cough for a few days. He’s ready to prescribe medication but hesitates when the man cannot name the blood pressure medication that he’s been taking for over a year. Yong-gyu decides to prescribe anyway and tells the man to take both medications concurrently. Nooooooo.

As Chang-min and Jin-hee accompany the young boy for X-rays, the boy says he doesn’t want to have anything done. He says that he has no parents, but when asked if they’ve gone somewhere, the boy nods yes.

When the nurse is unable to get in touch with either of the boy’s parents, Chun-soo and Ji-hye ask him for details. His story is heartwrenching: his parents divorced when he was three years old, his mother is in the States, and his father’s whereabouts are unknown. He’d been living with his grandmother, but she passed away last year, and he’s been living alone since then. His name: Eun-chul.

Jin-hee is assigned the task of placing a cast on Eun-chul’s broken arm. When he unexpectedly yelps in pain, Chang-min rushes over to help reposition the boy’s arm. He and Jin-hee bicker while she finishes wrapping the cast. Eun-chul decides to join in on the fun by punking Jin-hee with a fake yelp of pain.

The boy laughs at their alarm and admits to his little joke, so Chang-min pinches his cheeks while Jin-hee smiles. Ah-reum again sees their comfortable dynamic and looks depressed.

Yong-gyu notices Ah-reum’s mood, and broaches the topic of Chang-min. She cuts him off, and with a heavy sigh, she acknowledges that she knows that Chang-min likes Jin-hee. She admits that it hurts a bit, but she reasons, “There’s no law that says that the person I like has to like me back.” Poor Yong-gyu can do nothing but agree.

He perks up, however, and asks Ah-reum if she’s knows what day it is today.

Apparently it’s White Day because the married guy intern has presented his wife with a big bouquet of candy. (White Day is March 14 and men are expected to reciprocate gifts of candy that they received from women on Valentine’s Day.) But Ah-reum walks in with an even bigger basket of candy which she admits she received from Yong-gyu.

Ah-reum asks Jin-hee whether she didn’t receive candy and Jin-hee cheerfully confirms that she hasn’t, much to Ah-reum’s surprise.

When Chun-soo asks Eun-chul whether he has any other relatives, Eun-chul quickly assumes that the hospital bill is the issue. He insists that he has the money to pay for his bill, although he admits that the money in his grandmother’s bank account is dwindling.

Chun-soo takes Eun-chul to the cafeteria for a meal, where the boy wolfs down food as if he hasn’t eaten for a week. Chun-soo lays out the bitter truth and doesn’t mince words: “Your parents aren’t coming…not next year, nor the year after. So from now on, you have to take care of yourself. You can’t skip meals, and if anyone offers to buy you a meal, you just eat. And next year when you enter school, you have to study as if your life depends on it.”

When Eun-chul mutters that he likes to play, Chun-soo presses, “You can’t play. Because you don’t have parents. If there’s something you do well other than studying, you can do it. But for the most part, those things cost money. Studying is the least expensive thing to do.”

When the little boy asks whether Chun-soo had done well in school, Chun-soo replies, “Yeah. I was a good student. Because like you, I didn’t have parents either. And that’s why I’m a doctor now.” Eun-chul replies that he wants to grow up to become a policeman, and Chun-soo says that also requires a lot of study.

Meanwhile, overhearing this entire conversation is Jin-hee, who seems genuinely moved to discover this new detail about Chun-soo’s life.

Later, as Jin-hee tends to Eun-chul’s cast, Eun-chul addresses Chang-min as “ajusshi,” while Chang-min jokingly insists that he call him “hyung.” This earns Chang-min nothing but a derisive sneer, but Eun-chul is very quick to call Jin-hee “noona.” Hee.

Eun-chul asks Jin-hee whether she used to be a good student, and she admits that she wasn’t. But she explains that she made up for it by studying especially hard. The boy tells her that the “stubbled, scary-looking” ajusshi told him that he needed to study hard since he doesn’t have parents.

Chang-min wonders why Chun-soo would tell the kid such a thing, but Jin-hee tells him that Chun-soo is absolutely right. She explains that as Eun-chul studies and reflects on what he wants to do, a star will form in his heart. And with that star to call his own, Eun-chul can feel secure and confident, even without parents.

Eun-chul wants to find his star quickly, and Chang-min jokes again, “If I pick off a star for you, will you call me hyung?”

A nurse announces that Eun-chul’s guardian has arrived, to everyone’s surprise.

Surprise turns to shock when Chang-min and Jin-hee discover that Eun-chul’s guardian is none other than the minister who married them. Unaware of their divorce, the minister remarks that they must be going on six years of marriage. When Chang-min starts to correct him, Jin-hee stops him. Linking her arm in Chang-min’s, Jin-hee reassures the minister that all is well between them.

Chun-soo and Ji-hye are relieved to meet the minister for Eun-chul’s sake, but the minister starts waxing on about how well-suited Chang-min and Jin-hee are for each other, and that theirs was a match made in heaven. Panicking, Chang-min and Jin-hee grab the minister and drag him away by both arms.

Ji-hye laughs openly, since she knows about the marriage. Chun-soo, on the other hand, is left baffled as to what the minister could have possibly meant.

The minister wants to know why Chang-min and Jin-hee are acting so strangely, and when Chang-min again starts to explain, Jin-hee distracts the minister by demanding his signature on some forms. With a series of facial acrobatics, she then warns Chang-min to say nothing of their divorce.

When the two married interns stop at the nurses’ station to argue, the minister admonishes them for not being supportive of each other. He holds up Chang-min and Jin-hee as an example, but then acknowledges again that theirs is a providential match. This prompts a fresh wave of panic, and Chang-min shoos the married interns away.

As the minister goes over Eun-chul’s unfortunate family situation, Jin-hee expresses surprise that Eun-chul’s parents won’t care for him. She notes that the boy’s parents are alive and merely divorced, but are simply unwilling to be parents. The minister expresses disgust over what he feels is their utter lack of responsibility (extending to the divorce itself), and Chang-min in particular seems to take his words to heart.

Chun-soo explains to Ji-hye that he dislikes the idea of marriage because he fears that he would someday lose his sense of responsibility, like Eun-chul’s parents. “Is marriage some kind of joke?” he asks. Ji-hye’s views are more flexible: she feels that people can realize that they have chosen the wrong path, and the wrong person.

But Chun-soo takes issue with the fact that when adults make wrong choices, the true victims are the children. Ji-hye observes that she must truly be a terrible person, then, for choosing to raise her daughter as a single mom.

He insists that he’s not speaking about her circumstances in particular and points out that she is not divorced. And it seems that this is the crucial issue for Chun-soo: “People who get divorced easily…I can’t forgive them,” he says.

Chun-soo stops Jin-hee as she’s leaving for work, and asks to talk. As they leave together, Chang-min watches them in anger and frustration.

They end up at the same restaurant where they shared breakfast after tending to Emma. The restaurant ajumma recognizes them, and again refers to Jin-hee as Chun-soo’s wife, while exclaiming how good they look together.

Uncomfortable, Jin-hee asks what Chun-soo wants to talk about, but he replies, “Nothing. I was just going to eat with you.” He’s in a bad mood, and thinks that eating with Jin-hee would help him feel better.

This brings a smile to Jin-hee’s face, but they’re interrupted by Chang-min, who pulls up a chair to sit between them. The two men glare at each other with open hostility, and Chang-min demands to know whether Chun-soo and Jin-hee are on a date.

Shouting in anger, Chang-min wants to know whether Chun-soo likes Jin-hee, and demands that he answer in front of her. Chun-soo responds that he does, and asks if there’s a reason that he shouldn’t. Chang-min yells, “Yes! This is my woman!” (How do I insert here a wave file of a record scratching to a halt?)

He grabs Jin-hee by the wrist and drags her out of the restaurant. She jerks herself out of his grip, and slaps him across the face. Oh honey, I’m afraid you had that coming.

Beside herself, Jin-hee asks whether he’s forgotten how and why they broke up. He claims he hasn’t forgotten, but Jin-hee sobs, “We hit rock bottom…We both crossed the line and said things that should never have been said, leaving scars and hurt…I can’t stand you, so how can we start again?”

He steps closer to her, but she steps back, and asks him not to come close.

To Chang-min’s surprise, Chun-soo joins him for drinks. While Chun-soo acknowledges that he doesn’t know how far back Chang-min’s relationship with Jin-hee extends, he observes that to Chang-min, Jin-hee is like a long-lasting cold, complete with sniffles, runny nose, and fever.

He doesn’t think, however, that he has come between Chang-min and Jin-hee. “I just like Jin-hee as a person,” he says. He continues with his analogy: “Oh Chang-min. You’ve caught a cold. You’re running a fever. Don’t try so hard to get better. After all, it’s a virus. Just try to endure it. See if your body can beat it.”

Walking along the river, Jin-hee revisits the lock that she and Chang-min hung up on White Day of 2007.

As Jin-hee’s mom, Jin-ae, and Kwang-soo fuss over the baby, Jin-hee asks who will care for Baby Guk should they ever break up. Jin-ae and Kwang-soo squabble over each wanting to be the one to raise him, and Jin-hee’s mom is displeased that she would stir the pot by asking such a question.

Chang-min’s mom visits her brother, and asks him whether he can do anything to make Chang-min’s marriage to the Cabinet Minister’s daughter happen. Aargh. This again? Unfortunately, Chang-min’s uncle says that he indeed can help set up a dinner, because he’s got the trump card—that promise of Chang-min’s to return the favor when his uncle had reversed Jin-hee’s dismissal.

Jin-hee visits with Chang-min’s dad who is both glad and surprised to see her. She admits that she’s here to check on his health, because Chang-min had noticed his name on a surgery patient list some time ago. Chang-min’s dad reassures her that he’s fine and that all is well.

No sooner does he send her off, that he collapses in pain while clutching at his heart.

Yong-gyu’s elderly patient is again brought in by ambulance. He coughs blood while Yong-gyu and Chang-min try to get his vitals. Yong-gyu admits that he never ascertained what the old man was taking, assuming it was blood pressure medication. But upon further questioning, it becomes clear that Yong-gyu has made a huge mistake by prescribing antibiotics for a patient on heart medication.

Chun-soo and Ji-hye rush to prepare the patient for surgery. Reviewing the patient’s chart, Chun-soo shouts at Yong-gyu for his gross oversight.

Chang-min pats Yong-gyu on the shoulder and tells him everything is fine, and that he just needs to be more careful next time.

And thankfully, everything is indeed fine. Ji-hye and Chun-soo step out of surgery, and both are relieved to have minimized the damage. When Chun-soo credits Chang-min for his quick thinking, Ji-hye suggests that they should take all the interns out to dinner. He grumps, “What did they do well, that they deserve being treated to dinner?”

Cut to: everyone toasting their glasses of beer over dinner. Ahaha, Chun-soo, you big softy. Using the meat tongs, Chun-soo moves aside a vent pipe to get a clear view of Yong-gyu. “You know what you did wrong?” he barks. He tells everyone to get their acts together, and everyone chimes in that they will.

Chun-soo’s meat tongs move aside the vent pipe again, and he asks Yong-gyu why he didn’t respond. Yong-gyu replies meekly that he will keep his head straight going forward. It’s the camera work that lends some humor to this exchange.

Sharing the latest gossip overheard from the nurses, the married girl intern mentions that two doctors on staff have divorced. She blathers on that it must be soooo uncomfortable to come to work each day and deal with the rumors.

Looking weary, Jin-hee asks, “What’s wrong with being divorced? Is being divorced a sin?” When the married girl intern asks her why she’s being so sensitive, Jin-hee admits that she’s divorced. She views her divorce as a mistake that she made as she lived her life, not as a failure that warrants everyone’s pointed fingers.

She steps out for some air, and Chang-min joins her. He says, “Jin-hee, I think I understand your feelings now. I’ll stop making things harder for you.”

Chun-soo looks shaken, but he gets up to look for Jin-hee. He changes his mind and turns away when he sees that Chang-min is already with her.

On the balcony, Chang-min continues, “Both then and now…it seems that I can only think of myself. I’m sorry.” Jin-hee replies, “Not at all. Thank you for worrying and caring about me for all this time.”

Ji-hye and Chun-soo call it a night, but the interns decide to go to a noraebang. The two married interns sing spiritedly, but it does little good to lighten the morose moods of Jin-hee, Chang-min, and Yong-gyu.

The married interns force Chang-min onto the stage to sing, and he sings Kim Dong-ryul’s “Should I Tell You That I Love You Again,” which moves Jin-hee to tears.

COMMENTS

For me, this episode raised yet more questions, without providing satisfactory answers to many of the ones previously raised.

First, is Chun-soo interested in Jin-hee romantically, or isn’t he? At the restaurant, he tells both Chang-min and Jin-hee that he likes her, which seemed like a straightforward declaration, but later, when he’s drinking with Chang-min, he rephrases by saying that he likes Jin-hee as a person. Wait, does that mean he doesn’t necessarily like her as a woman? Show, are you purposefully trying to confuse us by obscuring Chun-soo’s true intentions? Or is Chun-soo merely trying to confuse Chang-min?

I’m also a bit puzzled at Chun-soo’s late entry as part of a central love triangle. Yes, he’s cautious and adorkably awkward around women, and I suppose it’s logical that any romance with Chun-soo would probably progress slowly. But generally, the love triangle is set up a lot earlier, in order to incite jealous behavior and romantic epiphanies from the lead. In our case, Chang-min has already gone through his jealous paces and he’s already realized that he wants to start over with Jin-hee. Narratively, I’m unclear as to what the show is trying to achieve by setting up the love triangle now– in Episode 14. I suppose it’s trying to hurl more obstacles at Chang-min and possibly trying to lend more urgency to his goal of getting the girl back.

And here’s one of the obstacles: Jin-hee seems moved and impressed that Chun-soo has managed to become Dr. Superhero despite having had no family to support him. Wow, as if he weren’t enough of a Fantasy Doctor, we’re now told that his passionate idealism and limitless empathy was born of a lonely and deprived childhood (or despite such a childhood?). Good grief. How do you compete with that? And what’s more, do you know the first thing that the devil on my shoulder whispered into my ear? He hissed, “No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”

But assuming that the laws of the dramaverse hold and that Chang-min is the endgame for Jin-hee, I think it is now unnecessary to hurl any more new, external obstacles at Chang-min. Heck, he’s got a mountain high enough to climb, and frankly, he’s barely placed one foot on the mountain by admitting that he’s only ever thought of himself and his feelings. Because of the marked hostility with which their marriage ended, it seems to me that Chang-min should be focused on one thing and one thing only: re-establishing trust. Why is it solely his job to re-establish trust? Well, for now, he’s the only one who wants to start over.

His real problem is this: when a woman slaps a man, and tells him to stay away from her, there is only one decent and acceptable response. The man needs to respect the woman’s wishes and stay away. But every moment Chang-min stays away is a moment where he cannot (actively) re-establish the trust that he desperately needs to re-establish before he can climb the mountain and convince the girl to sit down with him and sort through all their other issues, past and present. Plot-wise, the writers have written themselves onto one path: Chang-min needs to show his respect by staying away. But… keeping the leads apart doesn’t enable a rekindling of their romance, so the writers will need to maneuver Jin-hee into situations where SHE actively seeks out Chang-min, whether by choice or necessity.

I was delighted that the show this week found another use for our married interns. And then I had to ponder why I was so delighted. Sadly, I think it’s because I’ve grown accustomed to what I view as the show’s sledgehammer style execution: the overly obvious parallels between the “patient of the day” and the quandaries of our central characters, the lack of nuanced layers in their resultant emotional epiphanies (e.g., Was it irresponsible of me to get a divorce?), or the underdeveloped characters like our married interns who are completely non-integral to the plot and hang about like loose threads for most of the time until it’s time to exchange candy. But wait, the devil on my shoulder whispers again.

That’s right. Now why didn’t our girl Jin-hee get any candy on White Day? Chang-min? Chun-soo?

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , ,

128

Required fields are marked *

Today we found out :
1. Professor Shim know exactly CM’s position, so it might be possible she has the same exact feeling with CM towards Chief Gook but more mature about it. In other words she prefer the person she love end up happy no matter what the outcome. I SHIP HER!!! But it could also be because she is afraid to get rejected again (maybe she talked about marriage before with Chief Gook when they were still in relationship).
2. CM got kicked in the balls by maturity and it hurts, but he realizes he too needs to let JH happy no matter what the outcome. In a way, his way to confess his feeling instead of running away from it shows his maturity albeit, his method speaks otherwise. Also looking at the preview, it will take longer for him to mend his disappointment. It hurts huh CM? Go lick your wound. Then try to be a gentleman and politely woo your girl.
3. Chief Gook owes many thanks to his parent’s divorce for his commitment phobia and his thick wall. We all want to mend this broken puppy, awww, poor baby. No wonder he is so rough around the edges. This guy is just the epitome of tough love. Giving advice to a person he thought as having love sick is just an icing on the cake. Maybe he was in CM’s shoes when he and Prof. Shim broke up.
4. JH starts to remember the happy times in their marriage, is this a sign from PD and writer-nim? She needs to grow up too and realize marriage and divorce need participation from two sides, so she should do her own introspection. Don’t be greedy and step in two boat on the same time gurl!
5. I really take offense on the topic of CM only remembers the happy time. Hello!! It is not a sin! So what if his brain tend to block the unhappy memory? Maybe it’s his defensive mechanism seeing how he feel abandoned by his dad and live with demanding mother? Shouldn’t we ask the same thing to JH who used to only remember the bad memories? Wouldn’t anyone here feel insulted if your love one only remembers the ugly memories? I would! Anyone here ever read 5 love languages? Looks like JH and CM speak love differently. So in a way it is both their fault for not communicating their dissatisfaction.
6. Eeep, Chang Min’s bday and no one say anything??? Maybe his uncle “have something in mind” for him. Sending him to become doctor without borders?? Or an heir to his million dollar hospital company….dum dum duuumm….

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh and 7. Thx Slappyunni

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

For the question you posed in your recap about the angle for writer-nim to do the love triangle. I think they secretly have second lead syndrome too. It's kinda a way for Chief Gook to overcome his fear of marriage and commitment? Having him giving second chances to people's mistakes?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Anyone here ever read 5 love languages?"
Yup, yup. In fact I have purchased and read several of Gary Chapman's insightful books, which I recommend too.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yep it helps me realize what missing in my relationship. Great book, JH and CM need to read that. LOL

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Nope, not okay. You can't sing "Should I Say I Love You Again"

Too soon, TVN. Too soon.

I have not yet healed on from Chilbong's pain.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ah, chilbong-ie…the epitome of pain for loving 2nd leads...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

“No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”

A girlfriend of my has some particularly heinous in-laws and I pretty much cackled when I read this line.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Man, it kind of felt like divorced parents took a beating here in this episode. I admire Ji-hye's voice of reason, but clearly Chun-soo has some personal issues on this topic. Which is understandable.

And the squabble between Jin-ae and Kwang-soo over who would raise adorable baby Guk was sort of depressing, too; why would it have to be one or the other doing the raising if they separated? Unless its a bitter battle for sole custody, can't both parents assume partial custody of a child of divorce in South Korea? I've noticed in lots of Korean and Japanese movies/dramas that the child is basically cut off from one of the parents (usually the uninterested dad, which can't possibly be the reality) after a divorce. Can anyone shed any light on this for me? Is it customary in Asian countries for the sole custody of a child to be raised only by one parent after a divorce? Assuming you don't have asshole's for parents, like our poor Eun-chul, of course.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

In Korean culture there is a disapproving aura that surrounds divorces and divorcees (although the number of both is increasing). In the next episode, we get more opinions on the concept of divorce (and Chunsoo better wake up and realize there are more divorce stories than his parents' or I'll just..)

But back to the point, because divorces have only recently become more acceptable, the ones that did occur in the past were ones in really dire situations, bad blood between the two parties. The parents wouldn't want to see each other, and one gets allocated with the kid.

In the order from best to worst of a potential spouse (especially in the eyes of the older generation), the best would be a first-timer. The second best is someone who's "already gone" once, a "Dol-Shing" or a returned-single." The last on the list would be a Dol-Shing who ALSO happens to have a kid. Not Good. This probably accounts for why sharing the custody of a kid won't become a common practice for a while yet. Nowadays couples often get divorced without having time for kid, but I digress.

The concept of "public image" is also important in Korean society, and this would be how everyone else views you. Simply put, it would be considered shameful to be divorcee, much less have a kid from that marriage too. You see how averse Dr Gooks is to the idea of divorcees. The same level of aversion exists to even people without previous traumas. It's just a conservative notion that is only beginning to be changed.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Along with what you said, I would also point out that South Korea - much like Japan - is at the beginning of a population implosion. Within a year or three, or maybe already, Korea will be on the negative population growth rate curve. Japan has been there for a few years now, and even China is very close to it. Few people realize it, but there are around 40 countries with a shrinking population - and Korea is just .02% away from that as of 2013.

That dramatic change in birth rate has led to some pretty drastic social changes - many of which are not recognized yet even by most South Koreans. The skyrocketing divorce rate, abortion rate, and percentage of no or single child families are the most common effects (some say cause) of this. But it seems like attitudes change slower than actual facts, which is why you still see a pretty big stigma in many Asian countries about divorce.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the insight. I think I understand that divorce is still mostly a bad word in Korea (and Japan and China and probably most of Asia) and children are often kept by one parent, but I'm afraid I don't get the "Dol-shing" reference. I tried googling it, but nothing.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If all in-laws in Korea were like the ones in dramas, NOBODY would ever get married, or they would change their identity and move to another city.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the recap.
Could you insert the text-related pictures above and not below the text that pertains to them? That would make reading the recap much more enjoyable - at least for me.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am I missheard The Minister says 'he-ol' when he saw Jinhee and Changmin at the hospital? Dae-bak!!
About this 'Fuji' montain that Changmin needs to climb, he leaves memories (we saw Jinhee rekindle their sweet moment), and he will get trust from her if he defends Jinhee from his mother.
I think nothing romantic on Jinhee and Evil-softy chief relationship. She admire him and he admire her. They just wanna run from their old love..?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

As always, thanks for the recaps slappyunni, and for your comments/analysis.

This was quite the episode. I'm not sure what to say, because I really have no idea how the various shifts that happened in this one are going to play out.

In particular I don't quite understand what's going on with Chun Soo. In the scene where he was going to eat with Jin Hee, he seemed at first a bit bashful and awkward, which seemed to fit in with the idea that he likes her. And then he declared that he liked her in front of her, as Chang Min pressed him to. But when, after Chang Min's blow-up, he asked Chang Min to take her with him, he seemed almost disgusted at both Jin Hee and Chang Min. Then he told Chang Min that he liked Jin Hee as a person -- what did that mean, exactly? And then later when he went in search of her after she revealed that she was divorced, despite his admitted contempt for divorced people, that shows some real caring, right? Ah, so confusing...

The writers messed up the timeline in this episode, I think. The first day in the episode was White Day (March 14), so the next day should have been Chang Min's birthday (March 15). But Chang Min's birthday doesn't actually happens until the next episode. So the day that Jin Hee makes her big revelation about being a divorcée is an extra day, after March 14 but before March 15, that the writers created out of thin air. Oops!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh tdot, Chief Gook was just got carried away with CM's stupidity. Both character need to have anger management and growing up to do, it is like watching a first year college romance, not quite off high school, not quite grown up yet. Plus I think he quite enjoy pissing CM off. Hell, he enjoy making the interns miserable.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think you miss quite a few episodes. It have been hinted SO MANY TIMES that chief have feeling for jin hee, even before changmin came to warned him like a fool. I can give the examples, but hey, to make thing much easier for you and the rest, how about read the readers comments in ep 13 recap before :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

yes it has been hinted but that so many times could be an admiration also. I have seen so many individual that mistaken their admiration as love. I am not saying that admiration could not evolve into love, but remember in episodes ago Chief Gook also remember about his dancing with Prof. Shim.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My goal exactly... " No In-Lawsss" lifestyle. Why does majority of Mother-in-laws act like you exist to ruin their family?

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Korean in-laws, especially on the husband's side are known to be a bit... catty. Nosy. Of course in dramaland everything's exaggerated. Probably :P

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's not just Korean in laws, Russian ones are also particularly nasty, and just like you said usually the mother-in-law on the husband's side, which is my mom's case. My paternal grandmother is a piece of work for my mother, it got so bad that they haven't been speaking for a year now. I hope my future in laws whoever they might be will be nice.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

It just nasty in laws, around the world. But the nasty one always make a good drama story. No one want to watch the in-laws that spend time to cook for their marriage kids because everyone is working full time. Come on now.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed. but you still have to admit that it is an extremely overused plot expedient in Korean dramas..

0

Yes, just like there is always a love triangle in almost every k-drama? :D

0

I remember in Unexpected You when Yoon-hee bragged about not having in-laws... only on the next episodes that she actually have.. lol

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

psych!!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

yea I agree man - the show's cutting it reaaaaaally close if they want Changmin to be the end game. 'cause I don't see how he's winning her back any time soon, and he's competing with Perfect Doctor Man. what the hell? I mean I like Chun-soo, but... uh... too perfect yo. Got the skillz, got the looks, got the gruff outer exterior but fuzzy interior, and now no in-laws, and succeeds with ones hard work. HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH THAT??? what the hell, show?!

And the MOM! my goddd... are we doing this all over again? setting up the dinner date? Haven't we been through this 3 times already? I don't caaaarreeeee, I feel like 6 hours aren't enough for Chang-min and Jin-hee to rekindle their relationship in a reasonable pace, so can we just skip on all that other stuff - 'cause I don't caaarreeeeeeee!!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

That dinner date thing is getting a bit tiresome. They are always sending the kinds to America, why can't we send her instead? It is like the mother has been written in to push one single theme, and like Groundhog Day, just keeps doing the same thing over and over with the same results.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

One thing it did do recently, was show us that he's serious about changing his ways. He didn't just stand by when she was yelling at Jinhee after charging into his apartment, and actually had the balls to defend her.
Unlike the time in the flashback of their separation (and many other times I'm assuming) when he just let his mom chew her out.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

If his mum had so much say in his married life, why was he cut off from her money and thus from med school?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It feels to me like Chun soo's superheroness is supposed to make Chang min measure himself in comparison. It only works, though, when Chang min sees Chun soo and Ji hye together. So Chang Min isn't looking at his competition and reflecting. Not to mention that Ji hye is just realizing at the end of ep 14 that Chun soo likes her. To which she barely responds (We don't see her considering the possibility of her liking him really or acting on his w-e-a-k confession.) I like Chun soo although he describes himself as moody. (Have we ever seen him in a good mood?) Anyway, Chun soo's shining qualities doesn't make me like him any more or Chang min any less at this point.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Whoah, you really think so? That Chunsoo was confessing to Ji hye? Because I just thought he was apologizing for not being able to give her what she wanted when they were going out (putting a ring on it~)

Now I'll have to go and rewatch it ...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oops, I meant Jin Hee, not Ji Hye, sorry.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

There was a moment in one of the earlier episodes where I think we got a clear idea that Jin Hee likes Chief Gook; the one when she tells him that she received his text well. Chief Gook, like the awkward lunkhead he is, just kind of grunts in response and walks off, and then Jin Hee practically skips away, grinning like a fool. Which I read as shorthand for her having a pretty significant crush on him -- I think it's been obvious for several episodes now that she's crushing on him.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh yeah JH on the other hand clearly have big crush on Chief, but it doesn't mean they relationship is going to be a better one than JH-CM. I mean there is that risk of Chief will never put a ring on JH's finger. Plus he does have a thing against divorcee. Take my word maybe it will look great at first but for someone who already spent all of his life hating divorce on reality won't just turn around 180. He could also afraid that JH will divorce him since she has a history of getting divorce.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm still waiting Lee Kwang Soo's cameo, pleaseeee tvn.

&

please TVN give him a lead in the nexts projects

TVN always give opportunities to secondary actors.

Sorry for my bad english

FIGHTING Lee Kwang Soo

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hehe, yeah, bring on Lee Kwang Soo AND Kim Jong Guk too. Dunno why, but the dad-son duo always makes me think of the giraffe/lion think they got going on...

I mean, the kid's name is GUK for crying out loud.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Suk Jin too....lol he could be Jin-hee's dad. KHE KHE!!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

How about a drama series with all runningman members as the main cast. I don't want light sitcom but the mix between comedy, serious, romance and family. Something like Ojaekyo Family~
Here the pair for romance:
Gary- Ji Hyo (hehe,the main couple of course! <3///<)
Kim Jong Kook- Eun Hye XD
Suk jin can be their father, Jae Suk is the family older brother who are too obsessed with his ass ~3~

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh man!! It will be hard to take them seriously though...

0

ha,and lee kwang soo with UEE since they were adorable together XD

0

I know they got divorced end all that and that JH does not want to bring back the bad memories but when CM makes those sad puppy eyes like an injured puppy I just want to tell her get back together already I mean its super cute. I just want to give him a hug and say everything is going to get better.

the other thing is that I cant understand the big reason they got divorced. I mean I know they fought a lot, but many couples do. Maybe its because I forgot some bits from the beginning or maybe its because the writers haven't shown me a good enough flashback. I get that there was a lot of hardship for both of them during their marriage but I guess its just that I cant sympathise enough with the pain they went through to agree with JH and say that they should not get together.

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree. All couples, whether married or not, fight. And we didn't see a tragic event or something major that would have us believe that it was as bad as JinHee claims it was. She even agreed ChungMin used to cook for her and took care of her when she was sick.

It seems the pain of the divorce itself - the split and the stigma that comes with it - is the real pain for JinHee, rather than the squabbles they went through in the marriage. That's what I'm seeing.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can't remember which episode, but I think during one of their present day arguments, Jin Hee spat out a quick reference to his "affair with that pediatrician." Chang Min just grunted, like not this again, and stayed on point. I thought, wait, did I just hear that?

I don't think there was an affair, but maybe it was about the flirtatious doc that insisted he get drunk and had him dancing on the table as a precondition to considering buying his pharmaceuticals. Maybe there is more to be revealed about a misunderstanding that was never addressed because they both used to just fly off the handle and spiral out too far to resolve anything.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Found it, episode 4, near the end. JH said CM thinks the reason they broke up was his affair with a pediatrician, but that it was really his status and inferiority complex. CM said he was huts treating a client, and that (in the present, during this conversation) he doesn't care why they broke up.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sad puppy dog eyes and all... this is a drama about a divorced couple getting back together (?) and they can't just go about it as easily as other more regular plotlines. Especially if they want to be realistic to the audience, in a country where more and more marriages are ending up in divorces.

From what I could tell, fighting wasn't the root of their marriage being dissolved. It was Changmin's constant belittling of Jinhee. "You can't even do that, when I'm doing ALL THIS", "You're useless", "You were just a nutritionist what would YOU know", "what is it that you do all day when I'M out working", yada yada.

It's a legitimate form of abuse, and even the strongest person will eventually begin to question themselves. And you can see the differences in the Jinhee of their first meeting, and the one after their marriage. All the brightness disappears and all that's left is listlessness. And we know from how things turn out, that she WASN'T a dud when it comes to brains.

And maybe this is just because I've heard my dad say somethings along the same lines, but god, did some of the things he said in the beginning really hit home. And made me hate him to bits (don't even get me started on what older Asian males think of patriarchy).

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"when CM makes those sad puppy eyes like an injured puppy I just want to tell her get back together already I mean its super cute." Wow, that's an insult to Jin Hee. Just because he's cute doesn't mean he has a good character. You are forgetting that he mentally torment him and it's not just him but his mother as well. He constantly puts her down and doesn't even consider her feelings/thoughts. For her to go back to him because of his 'puppy eyes' is stupid and another repeat of a fail marriage. CM has yet to prove that he can certainly change his character. He's improving (yes) but he is not mature to handle a second marriage let alone a relationship. He is still a kid and acts like one. The fact that he screamed "That's my woman", he's proclaiming her w/o even considering her feelings and surrounding. That is rude, disrespectful, and immature of him to do that. I'm sorry if he has cute puppy eyes but that does not justify that they should be together. Jin Hee deserves better and he is not the one at this moment. I am still not buying that CM is the one. The storyline is degrading as the show progresses. Quite upsetting at the writer.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The writer has not really shown us that much of it except for a few flashbacks, but I suspect a major factor was his mother, and his total failure to keep his mother from treating her like dirt.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well, the writer is trying to show a g.r.a.d.u.a.l shift in his growth (and guts to stand up to mommy) ..... but it's NOT convincing enough ... and there're only 2 episodes left!

Everytime he takes a step forward, he also takes one backward. Seriously barging in on someone's date?

Those impulse control and anger management buttons are still malfunctioning.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

5 episodes left.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The whole timeline of the plot being messed up... If they are shooting live, then the scripts are probably coming out as they go along, so I wouldn't be surprised. Sigh. If only...

Dr Gook's "I like Jinhee as a person" line seems to have everyone rattled, and I just wanted to add my little tidbit. When watching the episode, I already knew that his analogy was going overboard, and that I'd have to ponder about it later. But the overall impression I got was that, yes, as awkward as it may seem, Dr Gook DOES seem like Jinhee. I thought what he was trying to get at was, that to Changmin, she's just a cold that he needs to recover from, while to him, she is an admirable person with great qualities. Someone he has respect for... and admires....

I dunno. It's interesting to see the interactions between Changmin and Dr Gook. Changmin's always so wary of him and then Dr Gook goes and does something considerate (in that gruff, don't-mind-me way that he has). Dr Gook's tough act always seemed kind of awkward in itself, but I don't know whether to blame that on Lee Pilmo's acting, or if that's just part of the character's charm.

I think it'll be cool to see how the writers maneuver the characters/the plot so that the protagonist ends up with her ex, instead of her finally finding happiness with the "new guy." Usually the first love is relegated to being one of the corners of the love triangle (although it usually is a girl, while the protagonist is the guy).

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

As for the chief, he seems too confused about his emotions. If you like her than ask her out if you don't then don't say or try anything. He sends mixed messages. I mean get your act together your a grown man with a stable job stop acting like a teenage boy in high school who does not know how to talk to his crush. Besides I find him a better match with that lady doctor who has a kid

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Funny thing is, he knows he's awkward. And he also knows that he's never going to get married. Dr Gook seems likes the type person likes to think they know exactly what their doing, without considering other options. And why people behave the way that they do, instead of thinking he knows best.

It's actually very realistic. I know a ton of people like that.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you, he doesn't seem clear about his feelings. Yet he does seem to keep making the statement that he doesn't feel ready for marriage. I think future episodes will give us clarity, or at least I hope they will. I want him with Ji Hye, she is awesome.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Professor Shim aaaalll theee waaaaayyy!!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

No in-laws for the win!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap.
Chun Soo is a good man and handsome and adorable and emotionally stingy. While I don't thing CM is especially the man for her, despite their history, I am not sure Chun Soo is either. Not yet.

What if the J dorama happens?
What if our bright, confident, beautiful, sweet female lead chooses NEITHER MAN? It could happen, writers! Nobody really need someone to complete them.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

What if our bright, confident, beautiful, sweet female lead chooses NEITHER MAN?

That is an ending I could support.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me three! :)

It's way more empowering overall- then to settle for unconvincing resolutions. (Chang-min's maturity growth ... and the Gook-clam able to open up ... in only TWO remaining episodes?

If the writer hasn't convinced us .... it won't be realistic if

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

There will be a total of 20 episodes, so there are still 5 remaining. Hopefully a lot can be done in that time.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

What if JH end up with Prof. Shim....LOLLLL!!!!Somebody in the relationship need to be the mature one.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm really disliking Jinhee especially in this episode. ChungMin butting in at the restaurant really did not call for a slap. That was just too mean.
ChungMin was on target when he asked in an earlier episode why when he does something comparable to what the gruff Chief does, he gets yelled at, and in this case, a slap, while the Chief gets a hug, doting, and pink fluffy words of gratitude. JinHee is not only being unfair but plain mean. It's as if she's still bitter about the way their marriage ended that she can't see ChungMin's kind acts objectively. I found her to be very annoying in this episode.

0
17
reply

Required fields are marked *

There's nothing wrong or mean about her denying his advances. She has every right to do that.

And there's more to everything then there may seem. She was annoyed at him for using his family's status to let her keep her job, because Changmin's family was such a sore spot for them during their marriage, what with his mom not even excepting her into the family and belittling her and her folks, left and rights.

She's continually told him that she doesn't want to restart what ended so horribly. A very grown up think to have decided, especially when the attraction is still their on both their parts. The fact that he takes a step backward from the advice Jihye imparts (giving Jinhee space, time to heal, and regaining her trust) and instead, breaks up Jinhee and Dr Gooks dinner, while not deserving of a slap, still merits some harsh repercussion. There is nothing romantic about an Ex who barges in on a date, when you've decided to move on.

0
16
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Denying an advance" isn't what happened here though. Your phrasing makes it sounds like Chang Min did something sexually offensive. Let's see what happened: Chang Min interrupted a dinner, she didn't like it, and slapped him. That didn't deserve a slap.

And how is it a date when she didn't know it was? The chief just said he wanted to talk to her about something.

0
15
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm sorry if my phrasing was misleading. I meant simply that Changmin wanted to get back together. And that Jinhee didn't want to.

Everything else you pointed out is pretty irrelevant.

"The fact that he takes a step backward from the advice Jihye imparts (giving Jinhee space, time to heal, and regaining her trust) and instead, breaks up Jinhee and Dr Gooks dinner, while not deserving of a slap, still merits some harsh repercussion. There is nothing romantic about an Ex who barges in on a date, when you’ve decided to move on"

It being a date or not doesn't matter. It was them having dinner. Just because Changmin likes her doesn't give him the right to just drag her out.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Would have to disagree and say whether it was a "date" between the chief and JinHee (as you coined it) or not does matter. A date implies a romantic meeting where the 2 parties have agreed to meet. You're telling us JH feels a certain way about the chief and so agreed to the "date", when in fact the viewers do not know her feelings toward him. She herself didn't know it was a "date".
Irrelevant? No, because you use it as a premise for her to get angry and so to get physical and slap Chang Min. And there are a few here who keep referring to Chang Min as an "abuser" - but who is the one who got physical here? When she gets physical, you come to her defense but Chang min is labelled an "abuser". Double standard to me.

Then you add that "dragging" her out of the restaurant warranted the slap. Really? They do that all the time in kdrama. It isn't a violent act but in the culture the guy trying to take the lead by taking woman's hand.

0

I think she slapped CM because all those pent up anger she has. She felt that she always get humiliated and belittled by CM, remember in the scene when CM talked to Chief Gook, and JH told him to go CM explicitly said to her that he was not talking to her in a loud voice and mean way. She was clearly insulted because CM did it in front of Chief Gook.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Again.

Whether Dr Gook and Jinhee are meeting on romantic terms, or just for dinner is IRRELEVANT when we're talking about whether Changmin was in the wrong. I'm not defining the word date here.

And AGAIN.

Jinhee was wrong in slapping Changmin, but her actions weren't uncalled for. Changmin dragging her out of her "dinner" (for lack of a better word, since you seem to abhor calling it a date :P), is him once again putting his feelings (of jealousy, uneasiness, anger, etc) before her own. And on a side note, it's not socially acceptable either. That doesn't cancel out the "wrongness" of Jinhee then slapping Changmin, but in all honesty, it's not like Changmin is innocent.

Interesting how you mention that people are coining Chanmin as an "abuser," because I think differently. During the marriage he may have been (maybe inadvertently and out of habit), but this time around, he's making efforts to look at things objectively, and ADMIT his mistakes, and think about how he can change.

That doesn't mean he's "fixed" right away. In this scene, he takes a step in the wrong direction, and his childish tendencies crop up again. But, again it's not realistic for him to change so quickly anyway. He's on the right path folks, and while the process may still be aggravating, let's cheer him on yea? (major shipper right here, in case you didn't notice)

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed. Whether or not it was a date is irrelevant.

IMO, Chang Min was rude, disrespectful and childish. He (1) barged into their dinner / meeting; (2) disregarded her and her views ('I have no business with you' i.e. be quiet, this doesn't concern you, when in fact, she is at the center of this whole thing; and (3) treated Jin Hee like his personal property and claimed ownership even though she already said she didn't want to start over. That she truly respected Chief Gook as a doctor and even somewhat liked him romantically just made the situation even more embarrassing and awkward for her.

I don't think getting physical is ever right, though based on his actions, Chang Min would have warranted a verbal slap from me.

0

Well see that's the thing JT, as you all has been watching JH not exactly good with words, so verbal slapping will just thrown out the window. I mean I am waiting for the day where everyone in the cast will just verbally slap everyone else. That will be a witty rom-com

0

'Your phrasing makes it sounds like Chang Min did something sexually offensive.'

No, not now, but it happened before, when he forced the kisses on her. Once even while she slept.

This show is chock-full with badly written characters.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

CM didn't just break up a dinner. He declared JH his possession, and when she objected, he said, "I have no business with you," and continued to claim her as if she were an object, as if she weren't even there.

That may not be an unwanted sexual advance, but it is certainly objectification, which has the same root.

I like CM and of course he is adorable, but that is not the basis for any relationship at all, much less one healthy enough for a second try.

I see the slap as half outrage, half snap out of it-wake up.

0

We see this kind of objectification so often in KDrama, which makes me sad. Within this year's fandom's favorite I Need Romance 3 Shing Shing was treated just like that by Sweet Potato, even if nobody really wanted to acknowledge it.

0

I see the slap as her attempt to get CM to FINALLY HEAR HER. She's told him no over and over and he continues to ignore what she says, I'd slap him too.

0

"They do that all the time in kdrama. It isn’t a violent act but in the culture the guy trying to take the lead by taking woman’s hand." - lulu

Oh. So many things to nitpick.

Doesn't matter. Just because it's done a lot in kdrama doesn't make it socially acceptable. I'm Korean, and it is NOT acceptable to interrupt peoples' dinners like that.

"the culture" you say? let's not make assumptions now...
And even if it was 'acceptable' in that culture, there is nothing wrong in saying that you disagree. Men "taking the lead" in that way are not ok in my book, thanks.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh my.. lulu, he might not sexually assault jin hee in this episode, but he did it before..TWICE.

And the reason why most of the reason cannot swallow his actions because..you know, up until now..he was being possessive divorcee obsessive sicko who cannot seem to stand on his ex move on and being happy with someone else..again like a kid who cannot let go of his toy.

Someone interrupt when you are eating with someone is still forgiveable to me, but when that someone RUDELY trying to provoke me, doing things like he's a king..then, a slap in the face might not be enough..just my two cents.

0

I think that Emergency Couple (more than any other drama I've watched and read/participated in discussion about) seems to really brings out the difference between (1) people who are evaluating it mainly based on what is the norm in the imaginary world of kdrama, with the understanding that how we would judge certain things in the "real world" doesn't apply in the kdrama world and (2) people who are evaluating it based on "real world" criteria, with the assumption that in a good drama of this kind, the characters' motivations, actions and reactions should make sense in terms of how real people might actually behave, and the consequences those actions might have.

I think that a lot of the persistent arguments (not just here at dramabeans, but in other fora as well) for Oh Chang Min are based in the fact that OCM is the male lead and the official poster shows them together and the central conceit of kdrama romcoms is that the male lead and the female lead end up together and therefore we must operate on the premise that OJH and OCM are the OTP and Jin Hee is just silly for not having realized it yet, and the things that OCM does are excusable, because he needs to do them to get her to realize their true true love, because that's the way kdramas work.

And the persistent criticism from the other side (the side I'm on, obviously) is because that's not the way the world works. So far OCM has been shown to be belittling, condescending, possessive, invasive, immature, overbearing. (Jin Hee is not perfect either, by the way, but she's not as glaringly flawed as Chang Min.) Choi Jin Hyuk, as an actor, is adorable and charming. But Oh Chang Min, as a person? If one of my friends had a boyfriend/ex husband who treated her like that, I would be very concerned and creeped out. So people in camp #2 think that if the writers actually want us to root for OJH and OCM together, they need to do/have done ('cause it's getting kind of late in the game now) a better job of showing why they'd be good together.

Anyway: TL;DR - I think it really shows that there are two fundamentally different ways of watching and appreciating kdramas, one in which you expect things to be kind of grounded in the reality of human nature, and one in which the viewer makes allowances for all kinds of egregious behaviour because it's not reality.

0

Agree with the above.

There are times when you want to be swept away by the fantastical no-way-in-heck-would-that-actually-happen aspects of a drama, but this drama is a bit different in that it addresses divorce, a very real thing that doesn't really have a foothold in dramaland, yet.

Maybe that's why, but I'm also leaning toward camp 2. Whether they can pull it off or not, what with them shooting live...

0

Alice - " Just because it’s done a lot in kdrama doesn’t make it socially acceptable. I’m Korean, and it is NOT acceptable to interrupt peoples’ dinners like that."

If you read the earlier posts, you would see that the reason I brought up the "dragging by the hand" by CM was that it was being used as a valid reason for JH to slap by someone here. In my book it is never right to slap anyone, not even if you have "vent up anger". Use your words.

And you say you're Korean? That's nice because I am too. I never stated whether the hand dragging was nice or not nice, but that it is cultural. And it is. You stated you don't like it. That's fine. I've read other women who think that's romantic. I personally don't have an opinion on it one way or another, other than it is cultural.

I am not excusing interrupting a dinner. But it's very strange to me that so many gloss over JH slapping CM, saying "Oh, she's just mad b/c of ALL the stuff from the PAST in the PAST episodes", "Oh, he deserved it b/c he just doesn't leave her alone", etc. -- OKay, hmmm. How far back then are we going to justify the slap? I was just looking at the here-and-now situation at the restaurant, which it should be. That's the healthier way to deal with it when you're in JH's shoes. My point: It isn't fair to give her ammo by looking at the past episodes to justify the slap. That's not fair to CM or anyone, especially in real life. If that were the case, we'd be justified going around slapping each other for everyone's mistreatment, misjudgment of us. It just isn't the way society works (or should work).

There is double standard here, I find. If he did that to her, boy, there would be angry posts here. But I am the only one to mention that it was going too far for JH to do that. And I find that to be a sad commentary.

0

Thanks for the recap.

I so want to like Chang Min, but he is in need of major rehabilitation.

He would sit back and let his Mom eat Jin Hee alive.

He is in need of major sensitivity training. The episode where he wouldn't let Jin Hee leave his apartment and his butting in on Jin Hee's date with Chief was over the top and selfish. Both incident shows how little he thinks of her desires and comfort in relation to his own wants. Want to love him, but as he is now, he isn't a keeper.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Man isn't love/life so fickle?

Whether Jinhee and Dr Gook decide to explore their little spark will decide to loves and lives of them and so many others.

Things that could be vs. the things that are

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Personally I don't think it's weird that Chief is introduced as the late love rival(?) to Jinhee. After all the slow build up (starting from ep 1) I could tell that the whole story was going to develop slowly. (sadly)

Personally I wished that Jinhee went with Chief.
He's just a better written character. He's like a damn onion that may or may not have made me tear up a bit when he was talking to the little boy. Yeah he might be an awkward turtle but who isn't when it comes to a crush?

In my opinion, what's wrong with Changmin is that, FINE. if you want to get back with your ex that's cool, go for it. but to NOT even take into consideration on how Jinhee feels and to literally/non... literally? (brain fart excuse me) thrust himself onto her is just wrong. Throughout the whole thing what made me so mad was that it felt as if his opinions only mattered. *GRRR* He's like a child who has a shiny toy and is the center of attention. But when the attention goes to someone else he goes batshit crazy.
He seriously need to grow a pair and or get a serious character overhaul because this... ain't working out.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Great recap slappyunni!

I am convinced that Dr. Gook is the father of Dr. Shim's baby, and she left for the US to have the baby quietly there.
Dr. Shim does not want to have Dr. Gook come to her under pressure, and is biding her time for him to realize that he loves her.
Once he finds out about the baby, that will put and end to anything going on between him and Jin Hee.

Whether Jin-Hee and Chang Min decide to get together again is another story. In true Koren Drama style, they will probably end the series with an open question of them considering the possibility of getting together again.

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh no. I really hoped that I was the only one who thought that... It's actually not unbelievable for a drama plotline to go that route

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

no way..it would be too unbelievable for ji hye character to do that...like I mentioned before, if she really hide it from chief..then I won't even like her character..because until now, her character is a very lovable,unique. and womanly..she the only character that can survive without man,she can be with anyone, or just end up alone.because still be fine either way..so I hope the writer don't use the "child" card for her to win over chief...because as much as I like her, that would be too..cheap.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

...But that is exactly my point - Dr. Shim is NOT using the child card to win Dr. Gook over. She wants him to come to her simply because he loves her.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh no... you're right...
and when have we ever seen that happen? someone NOT using the child card, when they have it... it's bound to crop up sooner rather than later though. They have TWO episodes left

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the thing is lara, it's not Jin Hye that I worried about but the WRITER-nim. He/she would obviously use the "child" card for the sake of Kdrama cliche route and choi jin hyuk popularity fan base.

@Alice
really,2 episodes left? but from what I've read in dramawiki, it said that it have 20 episodes~

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think if the series ends with just an open question rather than a definitive answer... ooh this show's sloppy writer... I hope we get more than that.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought the math told us otherwise.

They dated 6 years ago.
She had the baby 4 years ago.
It seemed intentional that they separated the events by a solid two years.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I really love Dr. Shim's character. Although, there's that possibility of Dr. Gook being her daughter's father, I don't think it's consistent with her character to be not upfront and honest about it. From the start, though, she did not "announce" that she had a baby, she didn't really actively hid it from Dr. Gook either especially when confronted with the lab tests, she was straight forward in telling him that she had a baby after they broke up. Just my humble opinion.
Anyhow, I just love her!

As for Jin-Hee, I hope she finds more reason to love herself more and to find that cheerful sunny JinHee of before again and be a more stronger and confident version of herself before the failed marriage. She is getting their on her own and I like that. The men need to step up and do some more growing and maturing up too!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Baby Guk was adorable as always.

“No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”

Great line Slappyunni.

I am so glad that you included all of the dialogue from the cafeteria scene between Chun-Soo and Eun-Chul in your recap summary of Episode 14.

Chun-soo: “Your parents aren’t coming…not next year, nor the year after. So from now on, you have to take care of yourself. You can’t skip meals, and if anyone offers to buy you a meal, you just eat. And next year when you enter school, you have to study as if your life depends on it...You can’t play. Because you don’t have parents. If there’s something you do well other than studying, you can do it. But for the most part, those things cost money. Studying is the least expensive thing to do...Yeah. I was a good student. Because like you, I didn’t have parents either. And that’s why I’m a doctor now.”

For some reason, it looks as though the writer and/or the director really likes incorporating and showing the audience scenes of Choi Jin-Hyuk making U-turns and/or driving a Sports Car whether in Heirs or Emergency Couple.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOVELOVELOVE your "no in laws" comment, Slappyunni! Yup, that's the dream!

I'm frustrated too with the pace & writing of this show. I've had about enough of awkward Chun-soo & poor-me Jinhee, who says "she's forgotten all about it" one moment, then clings to the hurt in the next. Make up your mind, sister!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

well in her defense, she is trying realllly hard to forget about it. However, looking at how JH is, she is a type of person that take things personally. Just like how she throws the fact that she is a divorcee just like that in group dinner. I agree with Prof. Shim, the way she responded was unnecessary.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

But where would the drama be if she made up her mind so quickly? :P

The wringing of hearts (both of the love-interest and us, viewers) is the core of any Korean drama, no? :D

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you. At some point she needs to let go of the past or we will never get a satisfactory ending. Also, I have noticed her saying one thing and doing another. Such as when on the roof she said she didn't care if he dated Au Reum or got married. Then later when AR was removing lipstick from his collar she got jealous.

I don't think she is being completely honest with herself, and I hope the writers have her showing some interspection and epiphany's soon

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap :)

Well, I love that Jin-hee isn't going to let Chang-min order her around. He really shouldn't force his feelings on her unless she's ready so I think he deserved the slap.

Despite the pain and arguments they've had, I do wish they get back together. Chun-soo is adorable and great but I think I'd rather see JH and CM together.

On a side note: I couldn't help but notice the bags under the actors' eyes, especially Ji-hyo's and Jin-hyuk's :/ it's like two pairs of dark circles under each eye.. They must be so tired from all the shooting and lack of sleep. Regardless, they're doing a great job and I hope they keep it up. :)

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Fortunately the dark circles make sense in the world of the drama, too, based on the stories I've heard from my doctor friends about how many hours they went without proper sleep during their internships.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

While we're on the subject of eye bags, I will also tag on and add this request:

(Not as bad as her sister's) ...

Jin-hee's hair color.

That shade of red/orange is really unflattering, so is that swept up hairstyle (for her type of forehead) - it ages her, and accentuates how big it is.

A mellower shade will do so much better against her skin color.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought that's just the hair color Mong Ji have. I remember she sport that color in RM before Emergency Couple started.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

“No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”

LMAO!!!!

I know it's odd that the triangle didn't come in earlier but somehow this way it seems more realistic. They were each becoming interested in one another and growing to like each other. But what the hell is this "I like her as a person" crap? Show you be getting on my nerves.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"He hissed, “No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”"

<--- the reason why recaps rock. Nicely done.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Same for the completely but not quite random line about inserting sound effects for record scratching to a halt.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The hope I see for Chang Min is that while he is in the habit of teasing with criticism, so he continues to sometimes say negative things about Jin Hee, and while he is still too macho-possessive, he is at least coming to see her as a whole person with both flaws and virtues, worthy even with the things about her that are challenging, coming to love the whole of her and accept her as she is.

As for Chief, I am not sure he can do that for Jin Hee or anyone else at this point. She can be an emotional person, and he cannot tolerate that. (For example, telling Chang Min to take Jin Hee with him out of the cafeteria instead of just to leave himself so they could go back to their meal. Chief just wanted them both to go away once there was any agitation. Maybe his parents argued before their divorce or something, but he can't tolerate discord or disagreement, or violations of his own standards.)

He holds himself to impossible standards and cannot help but hold others to his own rigid beliefs. Jin Hee might be repeating her failed relational pattern as much or more by getting involved with a different man who will not be able to love her as a normally flawed human than she would by trying a second time with a man who is earnestly trying to learn to be better.

Chief may be portrayed as perfect, but he expects perfection, and in relationship, that is a fatal flaw. My hope for him is that as Prof. Shim hopes, Jin Hee will pry his heart open so he is capable of letting someone (ideally Prof. Shim and her child) into his life. She is well-suited and calm enough to hold her own with him, and seems to bring out the best in him.

Both men have to grow in order to have a healthy relationship with anyone. I'm not sure Chief is actually more capable than Chang Min. He just avoids situations that highlight his shortcomings.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Totally agree with your second paragraph. The things I found most enlightening about this episode were the additional insights it gave us into the Chief's character, and his shortcomings. The scene in the cafeteria and the dismissive way he told Chang Min to "take her with you", his harsh condemnation of divorced couples in the conversation with Ji Hye, his obvious difficult with showing affection or expressing his emotions. He would not be easy to be in a relationship with (and he clearly knows it). This episode put my firmly back on the Gook/Shim ship, because Ji Hye seems, for all the reasons you've said, to be a good match for him and his difficult self.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

>>> He holds himself to impossible standards and cannot help but hold others to his own rigid beliefs.

On top of being perfectionistic, and holding others to that same rigid standard:

Chief is also socially awkward + the very gruff type who doesn't say too much or express anything and can even be offensive, but has a kind heart of gold beneath.

Unfortunately since getting nice words out of his mouth is like digging pearls out of a clam, communication is going to be an uphill battle (this is also in the workplace, where he doesn't climb anywhere bec his PR skills are nil).

He isn't the type who wants to stay to confront and fight battles either.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Translation question about confrontation when JinHee slapped Chang Min. Drama fever translated one line to say two very different things in this episode and the following episode's recap of the same scene.

So did JH say "I can't stand you, so how could we start again'" or did she say, "so even if I am crazy about you, how could we start again"?

Or is the phrase simply ambiguous enough in Korean that the viewer is left to guess what she meant?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's the second line that she says (which is why the recap confused me since I don't watch with subtitles, but if dramafever translated it like that then I have no idea why since there's nothing ambiguous about the statement). Maybe they wanted the same implication of "back off" to come across, I don't know.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you so much for clearing that up. Everything but "I can't stand you" fit in terms of what's transpired so far in the show between him and her.

I'm more firmly on the CM/JH ship, and the "I can't stand you" (to me, anyway) seemed like an about-face from where it appeared she was heading (her warming up to him).

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I just want JH and CM back together....Please JH, stop torturing my puppy CM...and give him a hug...He badly needs one.
For CM to change the way he's done so far with the mother that he has is unbelievable I would say...
That woman is worse than a child herself...no wonder CM was such a brat.
I will abstain from describing her because I will run out of negative adjectives.

I think CM is doing a great job....He is flawed and still has a long way to go, but to me, he's already done enough to say that he will be a different and better husband for JH the second time around.

People just judge him when he interrupts their "date", but what about when she was treating the patient with the contagious disease and no one will go in there but him?

He fought his friends to go "save" his "woman". He's shown that he's ready to die for her.
How many men will do that even in real life?

I have seen plenty from his actions in the previous episodes when he went from a total jerk to a man who really loves a girl and respect her. How about when he picked up her shifts when she broke her arm...duhhhh

Having said that, I also agree that he needs to let JH comes back to him and that's the hardest part for anyone who loves somebody.

And I think she still loves him, she's just afraid...rightfully so, and it's not just because of the mom, but because she's an insecure girl...She does not believe in herself because she's been put down so many times.

But that's something she has to work on herself, no one can help her, but as long as she will not get past her insecurities, they will not have a chance for a second go.

If you can't trust yourself, then you can't trust others either...

and Chief has the same issue...and that's why although he's ADORABLE....JH and him are a no no...

they are both emotionally wretched and cautious people and they need to be with people like CM and prof Shim respectively because they latter... although not perfect... are not afraid to BE...

CM and Prof Shim are not afraid to let their emotions out and live life to the fullest...but JH and Chief are and therefore...will make a terrible pair.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

".. How about when he picked up her shifts when she broke her arm…duhhhh.."

Well, considering the fact that it was HIS fault that she broke it in the first place...

Sorry, but I still think he is a possessive jerk who has not grown up and probably never will.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I honestly don't see the point in Jin Hee getting back together with Chang min I mean if you want me to state the obvious I will... Both mom's absolutely hate each other and each other's child, so it's almost like you want Jin Hee to get abused again. I honestly wonder how the writer will play this out because let's face it Jin Hee and Chang min are going to end up together. I personally would love if she would just go with Chief and start fresh again forgetting about the past abuse from her ex mother in law and bad memories. I hope Chang min does something to make me feel like he's best for her. He doesn't seem that bad but still between Chief and him I would chose Chief. These dramas are so damn predictable if only there was some plot twist...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

P.S. Slappyunni and commenters, I look forward to recaps and conversations here almost as much as I do new episodes. Thank you!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Totally! ;)

I don't comment much on Kdramas these days; but this one has interesting character insights to explore, and these recaps and conversations are stimulatingly insightful.

And as always, THANKS!!! slappyunni.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed! The discussions that happen in the recaps and the comments threads, seeing people's different interpretations and perspectives, are a major part of my enjoyment of the show.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Same I was so pulled in when I found out about this website, somewhere I can express my thoughts with people who know what I'm talking about lol :3

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

omg it feels like i'm stressing at a brick wall. how can you still not be sure if the chief likes oh jin hee! this is the one thing in life that you really don't have to overthink and try to be all logical about.

the way he looks at her, the way she makes him stutter -and how he becomes more gentle around her are all basic signs what he is totally into her. fuck the mixed signals the writers might be giving you. it's clear as day how he feels for her. and hopefully that preview for next weeks ep can finally make it clear to you.

i feel like i come here often for you girls to fill in the gaps and put things into perspective (which you do so well sometimes on some things) but here i feel like you're not even getting the basics, which is a little frustrating. sorry if i'm coming across as a bit of a bitch (i swear i'm not) but you girls are way too awesome to be so clueless on this .

chang min had me fuming in the last ep . to the point where i thought i was done with him for good. he redeemed himself a little since then . i get what you mean by him having to be near her in order to gain her trust but honestly i just want him to stay away at this point. if she seeks him out once she's calmed down that's a different matter, but for now i just really want her have some amazing moments with chief because that's all i have until she goes back to you-know-who in the end *sighs*

on that note: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT ONE FREAKING WEEK FOR THE NEXT EPISODE BECAUSE THAT PREVIEW HAD ME ON THE FLOOR, SWOONING LIKE A CRAZY LADY. omg chief, how you make my heart flutter *cries*

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It seems there are a lot of bias in favor of Jin-hee's character. I find it interesting that when they both encountered the minister who married them who remarked that they must be going on six years of marriage, Jin-hee stopped Chang-min from correcting him. She even linked her arm in Chang-min's and reassures the minister that all is well between them. This act of linking arms with Chang-min and reassurance to the minister probably gave Chang-min a false signal that it was alright to claim her as his woman. This is probably why Chang-min interrupted the Chief and Jin-hee's dinner. Chang-min's boorish behavior comes across as being rude and insensitive to Jin-hee's feelings and I don't blame her for not wanting to restart something that will end up with her being hurt again especially with a mother in law from hell. But let's be fair she may not have outright lied about their relationship to the minister but she omitted the actuality, but all's well. No one seems bothered by this deception from our bright, confident, beautiful, sweet female lead. Just my two cent. Cheers.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

“No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”
This cracked me up!! LOL

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

“No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”
This cracked me up!! LOL Thanks for the recap!! I always enjoy them

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

chang min, you deserve that slap, you should give up jin hee. what's the point of wanting her back if she doesnt want you anymore? we all know that you did mistakes back then, and keep doing it in the present, so, what makes you think she will stay with you? do something that will really make her heart want you.

jin hee, i wish you could really forget the pain. since its already 6 years. dont you think its about time? we know that you two been married but why you always let him drag you? in his car? in his house? is it for all time sake? or is it because chang min did that fractured bone? and why is that you are sometimes act like a jealous wife everytime chang min and ah reum will have their moment? come on! if you are truly hurt by that man, why would you let him come close? just let him be and dont confuse him.

i can see jin hee still in love with chang min its just that the pain overpowers the love. and that is difficult. i can understand both situations. it just feel a little frustrating that it takes too long for them to come back together. and that is reality. after their divorce i guess they havent try to contact each other and now their worlds meet again, everything flashes back. but for jin hee, its the pain that comes back and for chang min its the love. now chang min will definitely feel the pain because of jin hee's refusal and now that jin hee is interested with the CHIEF, it almost impossible for them to get back. truly, i am into jin hee ang chang min getting back together. i feel bad for chang min now, his ways of expressing himself and the way he admits that he is sorry makes me convince that he is really in love and sorry for what he had done. not just any man can do it. its best for him to stay out of her life, for everyones benefit. jin hee, heal as fast as you can before you loose chang min, ok?

sad thoughts:
if chang min's father will die, it will be really be tough for him. jin hee's refusal and fathers death will be a big blow to him. it might make him want to go somewhere far to practice. some men are really not good to handle their problems.

happy thoughts:
if that happen, jin hee will finally step up and stop chang min from going somewhere and doing something. i would really love to see jin hee do crazy things for chang min this time.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

He hissed, “No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”

LMFAO best line ever. Love the recap!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm really confused about Korea. So a grade-school level child can live by himself (ie buy groceries and go on field trips)?? If this happened in the US, they would put him in foster care or something and his mom, if she ever came back, would be arrested for neglect and child abuse.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree it's not only amazing that this was stated as if it was a common practice but no one else commented on it. I saw this same thing in several drama's and wondered if it was even legal for a child to live on his own. Is this done for dramatic effect, yet it never seems to disturb anyone else.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Your seriously kidding right? It's common sense that some other adult is taking care of the child. Especially the scene where Ji he got a call telling her the child's sick, one call from the hospital who do you think called her second....

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"And what’s more, do you know the first thing that the devil on my shoulder whispered into my ear? He hissed, “No in-lawssss. No in-lawssss if she choosesss this man.”"

Hahahaa ohhh you cheeky little thing, you. this made me laugh out loud. haha

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Does anyone know the publisher information on the book chief lent? I have been hunting all over for it with little success (lots of books with the same title) I found reading the book the miraculous journey of Edward Tulane really helped with my understanding of the characters in my love from another star, so I think that reading this book might do the same for emergency couple. Any one out there know?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *