Can We Love? - Episode 17 (Recap)

Oh well, no wedding yet, but some more obstacles. Sigh. This time, it's Jung-wan's insecurity that gets in the way - and Oh Kyung-soo's überfriendliness with every woman he encounters. It's sometimes hard to fill twenty episodes, right? Maybe some aliens will land next week and kidnap her right before the wedding? Or Oh Kyung-soo could hit his head an develop amnesia! That'll fill at least one episode! The other stories are also going sideways and in circles, I'm afriad. Yes, I won't lie ... I am glad this is over soon, because no drama has ever profited from too many episodes. 
Episode 17

Ji-hyun, Gyu-shik, the MILDragon, and a bit of Ahn Do-young

Diligent Ji-hyun eagerly continues baking class and beats the butter long and skillfully. When she is not baking, she is consulting with a divorce lawyer. He tells her to state the abuse by the MILDragon as main reason for the divorce and get proof from the physician she had to see several times because of it. And she does. When Gyu-shik gets wind of it, he freaks out again (that's becoming a bit old), smashes things and is overall nasty. Sera, who has become a side-side-side-character so much on the side we only get to see her about 30 seconds each episode, tells him in his office that she doesn't want her parents to split - but that she thinks a divorce would benefit everybody. And if they do divorce, she wants to live with her mom. She might not like her, but since she herself got pregnant, she has more understanding for her mother. Not that that really makes Gyu-shik any happier.
 
MILDragon is plotting evil things in the meantime. She calls her son over and tells him to sue Ji-hyun. But he still says he cannot and will not. He is the wife he chose and he wants to continue living with her. The Dragon even has the audacity to say that it's Ji-hyun's fault that she was mistreated by her. Later, the MILDragon waits for Ji-hyun to leave the house, and then goes in herself, looking through all her things. But Ji-hyung forgot her cell in the apartment and returns. When she finds the MILDragon, she tells her about the medical records. But MILDragon has more asses up her sleeve. First, she does something to the housekeeper (it looks like blackmail), who has been helping Ji-hyun for over ten years. One morning, she is suddenly no longer there. Ji-hyun manages to briefly meet her, but the housekeeper refuses to talk to her. Second, she sets a private investigator on Ji-hyung's tail.
When Ji-hyun goes to the apartment Do-young has given her, she doesn't know that and we don't know yet either. It's really cute what happens now, because Do-young has put books, a CD and candles there for her, as he informs her through a post-it sticker. She falls asleep on the couch, smiling happily. Before she leaves, she puts self-made cookies on a plate and leaves him a note of her own. And so it continues ... they leave things for each other, smile when they see them, and it's all unicorns and rainbows. I know this can't end well. 
Not much later, Ji-hyun is at the apartment again, exhausted. Just when she closes her eyes on the sofa, the door opens and Do-young comes in. Well. Not keeping your promise at all, Mister, right? He half-heartedly says he will leave, but he doesn't want to and she doesn't want him to. He prepares coffee for her and they drink it. She thanks him for the place. He says he will stop the custody suit and is sorry for giving her a headache. She tells him about the rich life she's led, and about the coffee she was able to drink. No comparison to the coffee they had together, but thinking about that leads down a dangerous road, and suddenly, she mentions a specific night, in which they couldn't return to Seoul ... a night he cannot forget, and her neither, it seems. She quickly gets up and wants to hurry yout, but he grabs her wrist (stop doing that, Kdrama). She says she will no longer be able to come to this place and runs out. The look on Do-young's face ... heart breaking.
MILDragon now has what she wanted ... she calls her son and shows him pictures of Ji-hyun and Do-young entering the same apartment. Though we know that they never actually were there together but the very fist and the mot likely last time, Gyu-shik is devastated by this. And of course, he freaks out. He grabs his wife forcefully from their son's room and drags her to theirs. There, he starts chocking them. Asshole. He has completely lost it and suspects she is already living with "that bastard". He wanted to believe her, no matter what and he wanted to make this work, but now, it's over. He will give her a proper divorce lawsuit - he will sue for settlement from her. He will take the children. And he will take away the restaurant he gave her family. To him, she is no longer his wife or his children's mother.

Sun-mi, Yoon-Seok, and a bit of Jung-wan

Sun-mi is on the bed, typing, listening to classical music ... that prickly pillow she's holding? Suits her. She is looking for baby stuff online. Wallpaper, cribs, you name it. She is measuring her room to see where to put things. She looks happy ... I think she is blossoming thanks to all those pregnancy hormones.The next day, she has an appointment at the doctors ... she is the only pregnant woman that is alone. And that's the topic of this episode in relation to Sun-mi: can she really do this alone? When she sees a cooking show on the tellie, she gets incredibly hungry, drives to a restaurant and wolves down meat like there's no tomorrow. When she wants to pay, she notices she hasn't brought her wallet. Jung-wan comes to her help. Yes, she's softening up towards Sun-mi. And she asks whether she will be alright alone?
Puppy asks to see her, he has a favor to ask. In fact, he wants a recommendation since he wants to go and study abroad with a competitive program. Sun-mi is supportive and says that it's a good idea, But why is he thinking of this now? Because he wants to upgrade, is his answer, because she might accept him then. Puppy is bothering her quite a bit in the next few days. Sun-mi thinks of what Jung-wan said to her: to reconsider not involving the father. Finally, she calls him and they go to a restaurant together. She is ready to tell him, but he has good news: he got accepted into that program and will be leaving for Paris next months. Outside, they say goodbye... she extends her hand ... he looks at her face and it seems as if he wanted to kiss her, but held back. He shakes her hand, turns around, and leave. Yes, Sun-mi: you're an idiot. 
She keeps thinking about him all the time, how he told her not to carry heavy things, how he brought her food, etc. Somebody calls her and tells her that Moon Eun-joo seems to haven taken on a very risky job, and if nobody warns her, she will go under. Sun-mi, who is no longer a bitch, actually meets with Moon and tries to warn her, but of course, Moon doesn't listen and thinks it's all made-up. She tells Puppy about the encounter, because she is still mad, and she adds that Sun-mi should take care of herself, with that terrible morning sickness she has. WUT?! goes Puppy. He rushes over to his noona's place and waits for her. When she appears, he tells her that he is in agony - why would she lie to him like that? She has to admit she didn't have a miscarriage. She wanted to tell him but because of Paris, she didn't ... this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. Go. She was going to have the baby by herself anyway.

Jung-wan and Oh Kyung-soo

And on to our last, but most important couple! There's trouble: they actress they had cast had an accident and cannot film - but the filming is starting in a couple of days. They need someone quick. And quick someone they find, a fictional actress called Shin Yoon-ah. The only problem ... she and Oh Kyung-soo used to date. Uh-oh ... The woman is flirty as hell around Oh-boy and probably not entirely over him, it seems. Jung-wan wants to know more about the relationship, but nobody will tell her... neither PD Park, nor Oh-boy himself.
She calls Kyung-soo and asks to go out for dinner, but he is busy. Shortly after, her mother calls and tells her to meet at a specific restaurant. It's all empty and Jung-wan gets seated at a table in the middle. Immediately after, the lights go out and a video starts. It's her mother, essentially saying how wonderful she always was as a daughter. She tells her that having her was the best. And now, she wishes for nothing else but her to be happy in the future. Jung-wan cries, of course, who wouldn't ... and then, Oh Kyung-soo joins the virtual conversation, ending his praise of her with a praise of himself, the world-renowned director who will spend the rest of his life with her. The lights come back on and here they come! Tae-geuk, her mother, and uri Oh-boy. This is a proper proposal, he says, the last one was too roughly done. And he puts the ring on her finger. He says the biggest luck in his life was meeting her. So cheesy. But so cute.
The next time they eat together, Jung-wan starts inquiring about the actress again. So she's bothered? he asks, which she denies, of course. No, it's just research for her new script, she claims. But when the actress calls Oh and calls him away for urgent business, she looks concerned. The urgent business really is quite urgent: her old agent wants to sue her signing on for this movie, which she will be doing with a new agent. Oh Kyung-soo promises to help, since he knows both agents well. She smiles a little and says he is still the same: and he still takes good care of her. A bit later, over a common lunch, Shin Yoon-ah finds out that Kung-wan and Kyung-soo are getting married. That's one unhappy camper ... she is "nice" about it though and congratulated Jung-wan. But she also tells her that she and Oh looked at that house Jung-wan will live in together.
Oh-boy meets the one CEO, but despite his considerable charm, things are not resolved. In fact, the guy sues the actress - a delicate creature who immediately needs Kyung-soo's support again. Of course, he gives it. I guess he really has to, because the movie is on the line! Yoon-ah isn't doing too well, she is worried and there are already paparazzi at her house. Yeah ... where to go?
Jung-wan cannot concentrate on the script, because she is worried. Of course, her mother had to scare her, too, by saying that Kyung-soo is a man after all and you never know with them. She calls Kyung-soo and hears that things aren't going too well. We see that Actress Yoon-ah is now at Oh's place (surprise, surprise!). He cooks her a potato soup, something he always made for her when she was sick. The memory makes her burst into tears. Jung-wan has decided to go see Director Oh in the meantime and is at the door. He gave her a key earlier, so she just enters ... and what does she see? Her fiance on the couch with another woman, his arm around her shoulder. Dun, dun ....

Comments

Oh come on, Jung-wan. No, he is NOT cheating on you - and he will not. Believe in yourself and in this love. Get married already. Thank you. 

And you, Sun-mi, you're such an idiot. I don't like this show for turning this strong career woman into such a pathetic creature. And I still don't want her to be with this sweet man. I hope he goes to Paris. thank you.

And Ji-hyun ... ouch. She really gets the short end of the stick. That divorce thing was really stupid from the beginning, I do not understand why she never tried to work it out with her husband and always insisted on the divorce. Of course, for this marriage to work, that Dragon has to go. Please drop dead, thank you. Not sure these two have a change again, too much seems broken now. There's a complete corrosion of trust from him. And if her husband doesn't believe her that she is not cheating on him and is turning even nastier by the episode, going to Do-young really seems the best of her options.