The Good Bad Mother (2023) Episode 3

The slice-of-life series follows Young-soon and her son Kang-ho who share a tumultuous relationship with each other thanks to her strict parenting when he was a child. Now an adult, Kang-ho is a cold-hearted prosecutor who chooses to keep his distance from her mother and lives in the city. However, when a tragedy strikes, Kang-ho is forced to return home to the village, wherein he finds a new lease of life and rebuilds his relationship with his mother as well as with his childhood friend Mi-joo.

The Good Bad Mother episode 3 starts with Kang-ho’s horrible accident. Young-soon is left heartbroken looking at her son suffering this rather sad turn of events. She breaks down in front of the nurse. The doctor later tells her that he’s in pretty bad shape and that it will take some time for him to return to his normal self after this. A heartbroken Young-soon has no other option but to pray for her son and think back to her unstable relationship with him. However, she is hopeful that Kang-ho will come back from this.

Elsewhere, Woo-byeok learns about Kang-ho’s accident and goes to meet him at the hospital as well. He wonders why the prosecutor didn’t just forge the documents instead of making the trip and then enquires about the other driver. His aide tells him that they have yet to be identified, but the truck was a burner vehicle which was destroyed to remove all evidence.

Meanwhile, Tae-soo visits his daughter in the hospital, who is also recovering from the accident, and Tae-soo pats her on the back for a job well done. As it turns out, Ha-young had mixed something in Kang-ho’s water and left him by the side of the road in order to get him to his present state. A scared Ha-young asks her father what would happen to them if Kang-ho woke up, and he promises to take care of the problem within the next few days.

Woo-byeok suspects Tae-soo of having something to do with it and calls him only to have his suspicions confirmed. He tells his aide to look into the matter on priority. Meanwhile, Young-soon asks the village chief to look after her pigs so that she can take care of Kang-ho. Meanwhile, Mi-joo learns about a tragic incident in her neighbourhood which makes her think about her own safety.

Pretty soon, Kang-ho is transferred to the general ward, where Kang-ho’s daily care falls on her. She tries to call his fiancee but to no avail. Meanwhile, that night, Mi-joo, while talking to her kids, realises that she is being followed by a man and immediately starts attacking him. He turns out to be Sam-sik, and she takes him home to take care of him after a great beating. They talk about his incarceration, and he seems remorseful for what he has done in the past. In the end, he gives her a small gift and promises to steal her heart, then ends up ranting, asking Mi-joo whether she still likes Kang-ho.

The next day, Young-soon takes care of Kang-ho, and just like that, a month passes by. Eventually, Kang-ho wakes up, much to his mother’s delight. However, her happiness turns to confusion when Kang-ho starts to cry, and the doctor, later on, tells her that Kang-ho is suffering from amnesia and only remembers the memories from his childhood. However, she does assure her that with rehabilitation, he might be able to walk again.

Young-soon takes her son back home and is followed closely Woo-byeok’s men.

The next day, Young-soon lies to her neighbours about Kang-ho and tells them that he’s still in Seoul. However, when she comes back home after thanking everyone for helping her out, she finds it difficult to feed Kang-ho. Her neighbours find out about Kang-ho soon after and Young-soon laments her son’s accident but is thankful that she is still alive at least. Pretty soon, the entire village gets to know about Kang-ho’s predicament.

As they gossip about him, Young-soon promises her husband that she will raise their son once more.

Young-soon starts to do whatever it takes to help her son; she desperately tries to feed him and prays to every god to help her son. But the feeding gets more and more difficult, and Kang-ho refuses to cooperate with his mother. Either way, Young-soon doesn’t give up hope and, the next day, goes through a box of Kang-ho’s childhood things to learn about her son once again. She makes him a toy from all his favourite things, but Kang-ho suddenly stops responding to her.

Fearful, she calls the doctor, only to learn that those with paralysis often go through these phases due to a sense of loss. Young-soon realises that her son might be suicidal and, not knowing what to do, tries to feed Kang-ho by force later on. When she gives up, Kang-ho repeats to her that if he gets full from eating, he won’t be able to study because he will be sleepy. Young-soon breaks down at her son’s words and promises him that he doesn’t need to study and apologises for doing what he did previously.

Kang-ho finally starts to eat after being encouraged by his mother. On the other hand, Woo-byeok learns that the truck driver has taken his own life while Tae-soo orders his men to remove all traces of his dealing with Woobyeok Group. Inside his house, Ha-young starts to unravel after being racked with guilt.

At the village, Kang-ho shows an interest in his old action figure while Young-soon receives news that the rehabilitation centre is full and can’t take Kang-ho on as a client yet. Pushed by his old memories, Kang-ho desperately tries to hold his robot. When Young-soon comes back into the room, she is shocked to find the robot on the ground, and the mother-son duo start to find a way to recreate the incident from the start. Although Kang-ho finds it difficult, he doesn’t give up.

The Good Bad Mother Episode 3 Ending
The next day, Mi-joo gets horrible news that her nail salon is in jeopardy and that her trusted colleague might be behind it. Meanwhile, at the village, Young-soon starts to give Kang-ho some tough love once more, essentially starving her son and probably giving him some other trauma. Kang-ho starts physical therapy and, with help from Young-soon is able to make small movements. Eventually, a spot opens up at the rehabilitation centre, but Young-soon comes back to the room to find Kang-ho eating on his own.

She is filled with pride and happiness for her son.

Whoever mentioned this was a feel-good series really did me a dirty because, goodness, what a heartbreaking episode to witness. The moment when Kang-ho tells his mother that eating too much will make him sleepy is just a knife to my heart. That did not feel good.
Either way, the episode was heavily about Kang-ho’s rehabilitation and his progress and relationship with his mother. Ra Mi-ran and Lee Do-hyun do a fantastic job with their characters, and I am already hooked on their journey. You hate Young-soon but also sympathise with her. It’s heartbreaking watching Kang-ho’s state and more so when you realise that he might be reliving his past.

Either way, I look forward to the mess with Woo-byeok and Tae-soo and how Kang-ho’s arc will progress.