Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Our young couple is going through so much to be together, that I just had to have them headline our post today, as they gaze on their little bundle of joy. ❤️

SOME IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, before we begin:

ZERO SPOILER POLICY

1. We will be adopting a ZERO SPOILER POLICY for this Open Thread, except for events that have happened in the show, up to this point.

The spoiler tags don’t work in email notifications, therefore, please take note that WE WILL NOT BE USING SPOILER TAGS FOR THIS OPEN THREAD. 

ANY AND ALL SPOILERS WILL BE REDACTED to protect first-time viewers in our midst (although, I’d appreciate it if you would save me the trouble of having to redact spoilers, heh 😅).

This includes, but is not limited to, how characters &/or relationships develop, later in the show.

We need to protect the innocent! 😉

SPOILER ZONE

2. HOWEVER!! If you’d like to discuss spoilers from a rewatcher’s point of view, I’ve created a SPOILER ZONE for you, where you can discuss all the spoilers you’d like, without the need for spoiler warnings. You can find it here!

Without further ado, here are my reactions to this set of episodes; have fun in the Open Thread, everyone! ❤️

My thoughts

Episode 3

With most dramas, it takes a couple of episodes for a show to find its footing. With this drama, I feel like I’m the one who probably needs a few extra episodes, to find my footing. 😅

What I mean is, because I have it in my head that Show is a dark comedy, and because I didn’t actually find most of this episode very funny, I spent a good chunk of this episode, feeling unsure of whether I was missing anything.

I’m still not completely sure if I missed anything, as I type this, because I don’t think I have enough experience with dark comedies to feel sure-footed around this genre.

That said, I do think that Show was just taking some time to breathe, this episode. After all, you can’t keep up a rollercoaster ride for 30 whole episodes, without taking any breathing space, right?

The whole operation to break In Sang out of his study prison to get back into the house to see Bom, is the main focus, this episode, and this whole thing really endears Butler Park and Housekeeper Jung to me.

They may not have much overt power, but they are intimately acquainted with the workings and schedules within the household, and they are the ones who make it possible for In Sang and Bom to meet, and spend that precious pocket of time together.

I honestly feel like they’re our MVPs, this episode. 🤩

Plus, I do love how genuine their care for In Sang and Bom feels. They’re not helping In Sang and Bom for any other reason than the fact that they feel sorry for the young couple, and want to help.

They make an excellent contrast to Mom and Dad (listed as Jung Ho and Yeon Hee), who are more concerned with their social standing and reputation than ever. If only Jung Ho and Yeon Hee were half as kind to our young couple, as Butler Park and Housekeeper Jung, yes?

Through all of this, I’m quite struck by how sincere and earnest In Sang is, in his care for Bom.

Thinking about it, he and Bom don’t actually have much foundation for their relationship, do they? They spent a little time together during a camp, and were attracted to each other. And then, they slept together once, before being separated.

And the next time they saw each other, was when In Sang showed up at Bom’s home, and realized that she was heavily pregnant with his baby.

That’s.. not a lot to go on, really, and yet, as scared and powerless as he is, In Sang is dead serious about wanting to marry Bom, and the way he is so concerned when he asks Butler Park whether Bom’s been eating well, feels so sweetly heartfelt.

His heart is fully with Bom, and I can’t help feeling quite touched by this, given how In Sang’s life has just been thrown into disarray by this development, that Bom’s just had his baby.

Bom’s a real trooper as well, keeping up such a brave front, in the face of such overt manipulative moves by In Sang’s parents. As she puts it later in the episode, she only puts up with it because she loves In Sang, and that’s really touching too.

I like the implication of Bom’s statement, that she’s aware that she has a choice. She’s aware that she doesn’t have to be subjected to detention and surveillance by In Sang’s parents; she only accepts it, because her feelings for In Sang are real and true.

One of the lighter moments this episode, that I found low-key entertaining, is when Bom’s father, listed as Hyeong Sik, makes it his mission to visit In Sang’s home.

It’s resourceful of him to get the address from the taxi company, and I’m pretty impressed that he manages to get the actual house, since, as Noo Ri says, most people only tell the taxi driver which neighborhood to drive to.

Too bad for him, that Yeon Hee catches on to who he must be, and blatantly lies that there’s no In Sang living at the address. Worse, Jung Ho even gets a police patrol car to basically intimidate Hyeong Sik into withdrawing from his mission, and leaving the neighborhood.

Poor thwarted clueless Hyeong Sik. He has no idea what he’s asking for, when he muses to his wife that it would be nice, if In Sang really were from such a rich family. Pfft.

I can’t help wondering how this incident is going to look to his eyes, when the truth comes out eventually – because it surely will, right?

In the meantime, the other cracks will surely widen, so that the truth will have to come out, I think.

Yeon Hee’s nosy friends already have a whiff of the truth, thanks to their connections, who are reporting that the emergency call made from Yeon Hee’s home, had specifically been for labor pains.

Well now. That’s not something that Jung Ho and Yeon Hee will be able to erase easily, I think.

Which means that this crack might end up being the one to blow the whole secret open, given a bit of time, and a bit more nosing around, by the Nosy Trio.

Another potential source of secret spillage, is Yi Ji, who seems all too happy to engage with her new nephew, and who also doesn’t seem too bothered by her parents’ strict instructions to keep her lips sealed about In Sang’s situation.

Those photos that Yi Ji’s sent to Hyun Soo, could well be the crack that breaks this secret open as well.

If I were rooting for this secret to be successfully kept, all of this would be rather stressful, I’m sure, since it feels like there are a number of wild cards in this equation.

But, because I’m actually hoping that this secret comes out sooner than later, I’m actually rather pleased, each time a crack widens, heh.

I think the best scene out of this entire episode, has to be the one where In Sang desperately hides under the table, to keep from being discovered by his sleepless parents.

The situation itself is quite ludicrous, and keeps getting more ludicrous, with Jung Ho joining Yeon Hee at the table, making In Sang’s hiding space even tinier.

And then there’s how Jung Ho deadpans that In Sang must be having a very hard time, just as In Sang’s literally shivering from trying to stay in his ridiculously unstable position – before he collapses and gets calmly busted by Jung Ho.

It’s really quite entertaining, I have to say. 😆

But YAY that In Sang’s fighting through his nerves, and finally making a stand with his parents.

Of course he shouldn’t agree to staying away from Bom and the baby, especially if the demand is that he not come home until the exams are over the following year. That’s ridiculous. I’m glad he outright refuses, to his parents’ shock.

It’s pretty great that In Sang and Bom make a united stand, and state for the record, that they love each other (while all the meerkats poke their heads out in curiosity, heh).

I’m definitely curious to see how Jung Ho and Yeon Hee respond to this unexpected uprising against their royal command. 😁

Episode 4

Well. This hour didn’t go quite as I’d expected – which is probably how Jung Ho and Yeon Hee feel about the whole thing too, at this point. 😅

I’m not surprised that Jung Ho and Yeon Hee attempt to use money to make their problems go away; that does seem to be the modus operandi of the rich and influential.

And, given how high their hopes had been for In Sang, before Bom and the baby had come along, it’s almost to be expected, that they would be willing to part with a good chunk of money, if it meant that In Sang’s life could carry on as before.

At the same time, I find it unsurprising, that they would lie to In Sang and Bom, while working out how to pay off Bom’s parents, to make this all go away.

I feel most sorry for Bom, who sincerely believes that they are going to see her parents, and even offers thoughtful tips to Yeon Hee, to make their supposed visit to her family home as smooth and as comfortable as possible.

Aw. Bom really has such a sweet spirit; I know she’s pretty darn awesome and strong all on her own, but it just makes me want to protect her, especially from the realization that In Sang’s parents aren’t as nice as she might think.

My heart goes out to In Sang as well. In all of his naiveté and innocence, and really, without much power or influence over anything at all, he really does wish to do the right thing by Bom, and support her to the utmost.

His statement, that this is a really difficult time for her, not only physically but also mentally, and also, generally speaking, for her entire life, makes me realize that he’s really putting himself in her shoes, and doing his best to understand and empathize with what she must be thinking and feeling.

That’s very sweet, isn’t it?

It’s too bad that his parents don’t think like him at all.

The way they don’t even go personally to see Bom’s parents, says everything, really, about how they view them, and how they view the situation. It’s something to get sorted out as impersonally as possible, from their point of view.

What a contrast Bom’s parents are, in that they may not have much money, but they care so much for Bom and her dignity and her rights as a person, that they would be willing to turn down 1,750,000,000 won (approx. US$1.37 million, by today’s exchange rate) – which would literally solve all of their money woes – in order to protect her.

That’s so loving, seriously. The more I see of Bom’s parents, the more I like them.

I mean, it’s natural that they would consider the benefits of receiving that money, and it’s natural that they would feel at least a little bit swayed.

But ultimately, they go marching out their front door, to seek out In Sang’s parents, because they just can’t bring themselves to sell out their daughter like In Sang’s parents are suggesting. That’s what makes Bom’s parents so relatable and likable.

It’s a bummer that Hyeong Sik ends up feeling small, when he visits Jung Ho’s place of work, but Bom’s mom – listed as Jin Ae – does such an awesome job getting into In Sang’s family home, and not allowing Yeon Hee to lie her way out of there.

Jin Ae’s outburst is all kinds of awesome, not only for how sharp her questions are, but also, for how confronting she is, in terms of what Jung Ho and Yeon Hee are trying to do. In the face of such burning honesty, there’s literally nowhere for Yeon Hee to hide, and I kinda love that.

That is the opposite of what Yeon Hee is used to, and she has no idea how to deal with it. I think that’s great. 😃

I also love how In Sang won’t sit still, when he sees the memorandum that his parents had prepared for Bom’s parents.

I know he does look pretty darn pathetic when he shows up at Jin Ae’s doorstep, but at least he’s trying to do something, rather than just sit and take whatever his parents dole out to him.

And what an audacious plan he ends up hatching – to register his marriage to Bom, whether his parents like it or not.

Woah. That’s a ballsy move indeed, and that absolutely shows that In Sang is dead serious about marrying Bom and taking responsibility as a husband and father. That’s pretty darn endearing, I have to say.

I love how In Sang just marches back home to take Bom out of there, to get their marriage certificate.

I’d actually expected him to falter &/or hedge, when Yeon Hee shows up to ask him where he’s going, but he doesn’t. He just asks her to step aside, coz he and Bom are going to get married. Ahhh! Our nervous dude is being so brave, really.

I love how this just turns into a race towards the marriage bureau, with everyone and their secretaries making a mad dash to get there before the marriage is registered.

I’d honestly expected Jung Ho to try to drag In Sang out of there, upon his arrival, so I’m pretty stunned, that Jung Ho swallows his concerns, and makes for what must be Plan C by now – pretending to be nice, and acting all supportive towards the marriage.

Ooh. This makes me really, really curious to know what else Jung Ho is thinking about, with Plan C. Let the kids get married, but scare them with the realities of marriage, so that hopefully the kids themselves ask for an annulment..?

I’m looking forward to finding out! 😁