The World of the Married thrives on the shockers upon shockers it piles on its viewers. Every time I think nothing can top the last episode(s), I find I couldn’t be more wrong as the show jolts with a finger-biting ‘love scenes’ (if we can even call it that), that I am sure will be the talk of kdramaland for a long time to come.
Finally, Sun Woo decides to leave Gosan. Still, nothing ever seems to go her way as Joon Young eventually comes unhinged, sinking lower than ever possible, and his self-regarding parents are forced to subsequently turn their attention to the broken mess they’ve made of their blameless son. And to top it off, his and their unpleasant secret(s) are further revealed, confusing and alienating them all. Nothing is ever easy or simple with the World of the Married.
To that end, it was hard to watch Sun Woo broken and ultimately defeated; not even when she learned of her husband’s infidelity did she break the way her son broke her. And the hardest part was seeing those good-for-nothing neighbors of hers, with Da Kyung being the worst of them, gain the upper hand on her, and bring her to her knees. It was so painful I had tears in my eyes. It's not surprising, but Tae Oh sinks lower than ever possible as he let his wife and the vulture women of Gosan humiliate Sun Woo in front of her son, especially after what she did for him, what a bastard -- unforgivable.
Finding out Joon Young saw his divorced parents go at it explained his subsequent behavior, anger, and confusion. It's always easy to pass judgment when one isn't directly affected by any given situation. Most times, it’s not what a parent does for their children, but what they taught them to do for themselves that shapes them. So in that sense, I admired Joon Young for his ability to tolerate Da Kyung, knowing how much she hated him and his mother. It is so true when they say self-absorption kills empathy, let alone compassion.
I guess it was only natural that Sun Woo’s personal life finally spilled into her professional as everything crumbles in her world and Da Kyung revels in her wins. I was grateful for Chairman Choi’s wife, the one person who stood up for Sun Woo and let Da Kyung know her facade did not fool her. One should always be careful what they wish for, lest it comes true, and is more than they bargained for, and winning doesn’t always mean being first. I was glad to see Joon Young getting the help he so desperately needs, but I couldn’t help thinking about Sun-Woo; how could he not think of her. And as good as it was to know, I must admit I was disappointed that doctor love, MS, and the Director were the ones more concerned for Sun Woo than her son. I mean, even Da Kyung kept a tab on her, even if for her own reasons, and rightfully so as she knew she might have won the fight but definitely not the battle.
Sun Woo, all alone, lost and in despair, broke me to pieces. Seeing her lose her value as a mother and a person blinded by thoughts of loneliness and emptiness made her very human. We all go through hard times in life. It’s a part of being alive, and it’s the reality we all have to deal with, but along with the path of darkness, there’s always light waiting to be seen. I truly felt her despair in the most emotional of ways.
I will admit it was hard for me to watch the nonsense that is Da Kyung or her family after Sun Woo’s scenes. And the moment I felt a sliver of empathy towards Tae Oh, I regretted it, and his actions reminded me. I have always thought of him as a coward, but he proved himself to be a shitty father and human being. The whole time DK kept messing with Joon Young, I thought she should leave well alone and not mess with someone else’s child to protect her own insecurities as that was a battle she lost before she even started. Despite seeing her despair, I knew mama Sun Woo would be back fiercer than before, and it was satisfyingly good to have her back guns blazing.