Just as I start to think things couldn't get worse for Ji Hoo and his family, they do -- drastically worse. I know I shouldn't be surprised by how low Park Hye Ryung (Park Sun Young) stooped, but I was call me, naive, but I didn't think she would with malice leave another human to die, and one that saved her life nonetheless, to cover up her cover up. Yes, she is despicable, and I totally and completely hold her responsible for her actions. But I also can't help but think that culture and society bear the blame for enabling, if not demanding, the have's place more value on societal status, wealth, power, and empty pretenses over the have not, ignoring if not rooting out basic human decency, honesty, good manners, and respect for one's fellow human being. The indignation of it all.
As much as I enjoyed seeing everyone from Joon Hyuk, Joon Hee, Ji Hoo, Joo Kyung Il (Lee Sang Woo), Joon Hee's boyfriend and his daughter Joo No Eul (Yun Hae Bin), and even Joon Hyuk's new girlfriend Song Hwa Eum (Lee Shi Won) happy and doing well, I couldn't stop the nagging feeling all that happiness seemed too soon and too good to be true, or last, and I was right. I knew the devil of the mother-in-law/grandmother (Song Ok Sook), the idiot ex-husband (Yoon Hee Seok), would wiggle themselves back into Ji Hoo and his mother's lives, and that we hadn't seen the last of Park Hye Ryung. I just didn't think she would use Joo Kyung-Il as well. But what I didn't expect was how worse things would get for Ji Hoo especially.
It was heartbreaking, seeing my happy place drama so shattered. If it wasn't despicable, it would be funny how hard the mother-in-law tries to cover up her past evil deeds by committing even more and all that so she can appear good in her pursuit for a political life. But the worst were those who saw the evil for what it was, but deemed it good and believed it all right, as long as they got what they wanted and didn't get caught. As someone once said, it's criminal how a wrong deed is right if most people declare it not to be wrong. Everyone from the Mombly mothers to Ji Hoo's teachers, his stepmother, the police, the fake music label company -- the love of money is definitely the root of all evil, as it's been said time and time again.
I hated what that grandmother turned Ji Hoo and his family's lives into living hell for her own twisted ambitions and selfish gain. And that's not even talking about the father and the stepmother. The thought that there could be families that treat their own kin the way the grandmother and her family do Ji Hoo makes me want to gag. I can only imagine how devoid of humanity one has to be to act like they do. If that's how they treat family, I cringe to think how they would treat their enemy.
I love Ji Hoo, the character thanks to Lee Kyung Hoon, what an amazing young talent. So inspirational and so mature at such a young age. But nothing lasts forever, not even the bad times. It was about time the good side won for a change. As someone once said, the sweetest victory comes after the hardest battle. The secret is that they hold out a little longer than the enemy. And there is no better or more worthy fight than the one any person takes against those who look to harm their family. I love the message in the drama -- as the saying goes, victory is always possible for a person who refuses to stop fighting. Perseverance is power. It always seems impossible until it's done. One doesn't have to go to war to win the battle. Love the uncle, but the nephew even more.
If I were to sum up Uncle's message in a sentence, is that family is where life begins and love never ends, and that strength grows in the moments one things they cannot go anymore but keep going anyway. Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter. Uncle made me grateful for the family I have and the love and growth I experience through them. Despite the hurt, betrayal, bullying and outright hate that came along with the beautiful moments in Uncle, it preserved to be one of the better family dramas I've watched in sometime. The credit goes to all the actors, but especially Oh Jung Se, Jeon Hye Jin, and the young but talented Lee Kyung Hoon, the writer, the director and the whole production team. Watch Uncle Here.