The featured song during the recap: “Theme of Ae-sun” by Park Sung-il, the musician who also wrote “Theme of Gwan-sik,” “Spring in a Heartbeat,” and “Two Faced Summer” from this OST.
The Baeksang Awards wins for this show—Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor—and how validating it feels to have picked a gem for Season 11 of our podcast!
How this episode focuses on three mothers and their powerful love for their children: Ae-sun, Yeong-ran, and Chung-seop’s mom.
The symbolic and cultural significance of white rice, and how Bu Sang-gil uses it as a weapon in his drunken tirade.
Oh Seong’s boiling anger against his father and sister, and his tragic learned behavior from witnessing his father's abuse.
Hyeon-suk’s origami cranes and how they parallel Geum Myeong’s cranes from Japan—symbols of hope, wishes, and emotional solace.
How the village haenyeos serve as the Greek chorus, offering wisdom, gossip, and commentary with humor and truth.
Eun Myeong’s cigarette-selling side hustle and his rebellion against his parents.
The painful disparity in how Yeong Beom’s mother treats Geum Myeong and Eun Myeong.
Chung-seop’s shy but grateful reaction to Geum Myeong’s kindness to his mother, and their growing closeness.
Cultural and cinematic references throughout the episode: Cinema Paradiso, Lambada, Choi Jin-sil, and the long-running radio show Two O’Clock Date.
The origin story of Ae-sun’s deep anxiety about her daughter, which probably stems from an attempted kidnapping during her childhood.
Ae-sun’s and Geum Myeong’s mirrored dreams and trauma over the day Dong Myeong died, and how regret is a recurring theme in this show.
Ae sun’s dramatic save of Geum Myeong from carbon monoxide poisoning; we see that Ae-sun’s intuition leads her to save her daughter.
What we’re watching now, including The Match, Big Mouth, and Reply 1988, plus a shoutout to Lee Soo-kyung, the actress who plays Bu Hyeon-suk, as a rising star to watch.
References
Hi Joanna and Sunghee,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recap of Episode 10. I can always count on you two to pick up on the details that stood out to me as well—the paper cranes, the news report at the time, and the painting on the wall of Chung Seop’s mom’s store.
Regarding the locked door to Geum Myeong’s small room, it was shown in an earlier episode that the door had always been faulty, and her landlord had tried to fix it. Yes, it’s strange that the lock is on the outside. In this episode, after Geum Myeong’s phone call with Ae Sun, Gwan Sik gave Ae Sun a new set of lock and encouraged her to visit their daughter and install it herself.
I’ve seen The Match too and really enjoyed it. I’m glad to see Yoo Ah In again—he’s an excellent actor, despite the controversies surrounding him.
Hi Irma, thanks for your comment. We try to go through the episode with a fine tooth comb. We don't get everything, but we do try.
DeleteI agree with you about the Match. Yoo Ah In is a great actor and I was sad to hear about the troubles he's going through. I don't agree with the path that he chose, but I do feel for him that he, as well as other prominent figures in the Korean entertainment industry, must deal with overwhelming stress and pressure.