Recap Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) – Season 1 Episode 5

Episode 5 of Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) begins with Yu-Shin learning that Ki-Rim has been taken to Joseon Central hospital. It’s too late though and he sadly passes away. Given Dong-Mi let him die in the cinema, his death is 100% on her conscience.

Meanwhile, Hye-Ryung meets Sa-Hyun out for dinner. There, she decides to let her husband off the hook this once, on the condition that he ends his affair and lets her meet the woman he’s been sleeping with. She also wants an apology. Instead, Sa-Hyun stays quiet.

However, their conversation is interrupted by Pi-Young phoning and breaking the news about her Father-in-law’s death. Hye-Ryung offers her condolences and gets back to her awkward meal with Sa-Hyun.

Elsewhere, Ye-Jung questions her husband, accusing Moon-Ho of liking Dong-Mi, especially given he knows her exact age and cried during karaoke. Well, once again we see the same instance occur with this couple, as they’re interrupted upon learning the news about the funeral. As they prepare to leave, Moon-Ho sorts his hair out which again gets Ye-Jung thinking that he’s doing this to try and impress Dong-Mi.

While preparing for the funeral arrangements, Mo Seo-Hyang shows up to pay her respects, finally seeing little Ji-A again after all this time. While the pair hug, Pi-Young tries to hold back her disdain. Seo-Hyang speaks to Ji-A in the main restaurant area but keeps quiet about her own issues. When Dong-Mi shows up, the pair talk as Seo-Hyang tells her she can overcome this. Dong-Mi, of course, continues to play the victim and wonders whether she can continue or not.

Back home, a drunk Hye-Ryung shows up and continues prying into the subject of Sa-Hyun’s lover. Getting nowhere, she eventually collapses by the side of the bed and tells him to lie down. He refuses, instead admitting that he didn’t think his feelings would change as much as they have. As a last resort, Hye-Ryung suggests they have a baby. In fact, she even tries forcing herself on him to get pregnant.

It’s here that the bombshell reveal comes out as Sa-Hyun admits that his lover is 6 weeks pregnant. He even shows her the scan picture to prove it. When Hye-Ryung sees, she grits her teeth and calls him human trash.

After the funeral, Pi-Young and Yu-Shin bring Dong-Mi back home as she plays up the victim once again. She acts deliriously and continues to weep as all the family gather around her. She clings to Yu-Shin, as Pi-Young suggests she stay behind. Instead, Dong-Mi decides she’ll be okay on her own. Alone, she whispers to her picture of Ki-Rim, telling him not to resent her as he lived happily for decades. Opening the curtains to let moonlight in, she begins chuckling and dancing with herself.

In the morning, Sa-Hyun and Hye-Ryung head over to visit their parents. When Hye-Ryung mentions the pregnancy, she’s shocked to discover Sa-Hyun’s parents already know and are feigning surprise. Once again we’re graced with comedic undertones of music during this genuinely concerning moment of drama that should be a big deal.

Well, as Hye-Ryung pries for answers, Moon-Ho suddenly feigns a headache to get out of the conversation. Eventually the duo ask her for some time to think what to do.

When the pair leave, Moon-Ho and Ye-Jung contemplate whether they’ll even get a chance to meet their grandchild or not. Well, whatever happens they both decide to visit the child and support it.

The next day, Dong-Mi heads out for tea with her son. Yu-Shin promises to take her out and try to help Dong-Mi get over what’s happened as he holds her hand and asks her to lean on him from now on.

Interspersed throughout this episode (and several before too to be honest) are recurring scenes featuring three random ladies. They’re all best friends and discuss their situations. Ga-Bin, A-Mi and Song Won all have drinks, in a scene that, I guess, is supposed to mirror the instances with Hye-Ryung, Pi-Young and Shi-Eun. It’s implied that they could be the three mistresses our males are sleeping with but we’ll have to wait and see if this is accurate.

Speak of the devil, Shi-Eun finally makes a cameo appearance this episode, showing up late on to visit Hae-Ryun at work. There, she notices the oriental medicine. He brushes it off as a means of staying healthy and hurries his wife out the door. Just before she goes, Shi-Eun spies a bag in the corner. For now, she remains quiet and leaves.

At work, an enraged Hye-Ryung phones Sa-Hyun and tells him she’s not going to divorce him. She implores him to break things off again with his mistress and ends the call during the song, telling him her word is final.

As the episode closes out, Dong-Mi continues to lean on her son which promises plenty of drama… in upcoming episodes.

---

The Episode Review

Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) returns this week with another mediocre slice of drama, as our characters reel over the death of Ki-Rim. Except Dong-Mi of course, who does her best to play up to the crowds while secretly being happy about now being a widow. With her leaning on Yu-Shin more and more, you get the feeling this is being built up to put pressure on Pi-Young.

Meanwhile, Hye-Ryung and Sa-Hyun’s toxic relationship continues, with Hye-Ryung willing to forgive her cheating husband by forcing him to impregnate her. With his parents aware of the mistress and her baby, the idea of throwing in comedic music in the background during these scenes completely undermines the seriousness of what Sa-Hyun has done.

Once again the editing here is really poor, with the cut at 36.01 minutes for example, showing Dong-Mi sitting to then suddenly standing up (regardless of being a flashback) which feels really disorientating and disrupts the pacing of the episode.

In fact, this has been a consistent theme of this Korean drama, as scenes that should be longer are cut short while others are tonally discordant to what’s going on.

The funeral at least adds a bit of drama and originality to the mix but in doing so, completely pushes Si-Eun to the wayside as she’s reduced to a cameo appearance with her kids and a small scene at the clinic.

For now, Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) continues to tick by but given we’ve got a fair amount of dramas starting in February, it feels like this one is going to get lost in the shuffle.