“Fated to Love You” Episode 14 recap

Is that a snail or are you just happy to see me?

Side dish: Ice cream proves stronger than a DNA test in determining Daniel’s true sister in this episode. We can vouch for the power of ice cream from Dutch Dreams. They even top their ice cream with fruit, which makes it a nutritionally complete meal.

Episode Recap

Weeping, a drunken Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) pounds on the door to his ex-wife Kim Mi Young’s (Jang Na Ra) hotel room. When she opens it to attack him with a shoe, they land in a heap together. Convinced he’s dreaming, he tells her it’s nice to see her, then passes out in the hallway. Torn and seemingly on the verge of tears, Mi Young puts him to sleep on the couch in her room.

From this introduction onwards, Gun starts a double existence, being rejected in person, while becoming Mi Young’s confidant via text in the guise of the buyer of the painting, who he pretends is an older woman. Mi Young, for her part spends much of the episode being strong on the outside, but feeling hurt and confused when she sees Gun.

After breakfast at the hotel, Daniel takes Gun aside and warns him away from Mi Young. Rather than take up the challenge, Gun tells him he’s happy to know that Daniel is with her.

Gun is soon forgotten when Daniel gets the news that his sister has been found, and they have a tearful reunion. Mi Young, meanwhile is concerned about getting her painting back, and gets in touch with the buyer/Gun.

Se Ra teaches a ballet class, and rewards her whiny students with patbingsu and ice cream. She pointedly eats her own strawberry ice cream and thinks about Gun.

Mi Young and Gun are tricked by Lee Yong into meeting at a coffee place, to discuss a project for Gun’s company. It’s awkward, so Gun reassures her that he has no interest in her personally, and Mi Young tells him to keep it up, before leaving.

On her way to dinner, Mi Young overhears Daniel’s purported sister and the private investigator discussing how they’re going to fleece Daniel. At dinner, when Daniel gets up for a phone call, Mi Young confronts the fake sister, and they struggle over the water glass that Mi Young confiscated for a DNA test.

After the jig is up, a heartbroken Daniel has a flashback to his childhood where he went to buy his little sister ice cream, but returned to find her gone. Mi Young comforts him over his guilt, but he makes the decision to give up on finding his sister, and to concentrate on making his own family.

That night, Mi Young goes home and starts texting with the buyer/Gun, and tells her/Gun about Daniel’s confession. Gun counsels Mi Young to think carefully before making decisions. Their conversation is interrupted by Lee Yong who asks Gun to reconsider using Mi Young as the artist for their packaging project. Gun shoots lightning at him with his fingers, but Yong defends himself with a fireball.

Mi Young texts the buyer/Gun, with the news that she’s leaving Korea. In a panic, Gun asks her where she is, and runs to return the painting to her. Without realizing, he walks in on Daniel’s elaborate proposal. Daniel goes down on one knee to ask Mi Young if she will become his family, and the episode ends with Gun’s appalled face.

Comments

Only 만: This was a sad episode.

Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다: Yes, a lot more muted than the last episode. However, I am liking Mi Young a lot more as a result of Episode 14.

Only: Agreed. This is more like the transformation I was hoping for. Not that she became a different person, but someone with the confidence and backbone to make hard decisions and take action on her own.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Yes, I think it is wise of Mi Young to stay clear of her ex, because her emotions are so uncertain. And, I loved how calm and firm she was with the charlatan masquerading as Daniel’s sister.

Only: That scene was great in terms of showing Mi Young’s transformation. She just calmly informed the fake sister that she wasn’t going to let her get away with it. But, for Daniel, wow, that must have been devastating.

Junggugeo Kaenada: As an aside, this is a production issue, but I wished they had enlisted a more well known actress to do a cameo as the fake sister. I knew right away that it was a scam, because the sister was played by an unknown.

Only: Who would want to do a cameo as such an unsympathetic and unentertaining character? But yes, it was obvious from the start it was a scam, which made watching Daniel’s excitement even worse.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Yes, I felt badly for Daniel, and yet, I still do not like his current incarnation. In one scene, Mi Young was reminiscing about how Daniel was there for her in the past when she was at her lowest. I had forgotten how appealing Daniel was in earlier episodes.

Only: I think the problem is that Daniel at the moment isn’t much more than a roadblock for the main couple. The character is pretty thin, to be honest, and was easier to like when he was being friendlier.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Maybe he’ll cheer up when he finally realizes that Se Ra is his sister. I think there is no doubt anymore. They trotted Se Ra out this episode just so she could specifically choose to eat an ice cream cone. Then, we see in Daniel’s memories that he lost his sister while buying an ice cream cone for her.

Only: If it wasn’t obvious previously that Se Ra was his sister, the ice cream definitely clinched it (and also made me crave ice cream).

But, even though this was Mi Young’s episode, let’s talk about our much subdued Gun.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Poor Gun. I cannot think of a better strategy than the one that he has taken. How do you approach the woman you love when she does not even want to see you? Masquerade as a woman with an acne problem via text; makes sense to me, and I’m only half kidding.

Only: Yes, poor Gun. Mi Young was very blunt with him when they met again, and he obviously had no other option if he wanted to connect with her. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how this plays out because, despite whatever feelings Mi Young harbours for Gun, it’s clear that seeing him is painful to her. I wonder if she’s remembering the accident, or his rejection of her afterwards?

Junggugeo Kaenada: Well, the flashbacks seem to only show the accident, and not Gun. Based solely on that, I would say Mi Young is traumatized by the accident, and the loss of her baby…and the baby mug.

Only: And instead, she has a proposal from Daniel on the table. I actually like that this is her main concern at the moment. After three years spent with Daniel, his proposal would be more important than repeatedly running into Gun. And anyway, Gun and Mi Young really can’t do anything unless Daniel is convincingly out of the way.

Junggugeo Kaenada: I just wish they had kept Daniel as a viable option, because it would have created more dramatic tension. I think Daniel just came off better when he was less desperate, and more sensitive to Mi Young’s cues. As he is now, Daniel is just an annoying hindrance to the reunion of Gun and Mi Young.

Only: I’ll predict that there’s a rejection on the way.

Junggugeo Kaenada: In the theatre? Or, after a few months of engagement, for maximum hurt and drama?

Only: I would guess the theatre. If I’m going by Mi Young’s current incarnation, if she doesn’t have feelings for him, then she’s not going to drag out the torture. For him and for us, because that doesn’t sound like fun to watch.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Yes, I agree. Good work, Mi Young! You may be hurting and unable to get over your ex, but I like you a lot right now.

Only: Same here! Congratulations, snail!

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Fated to Love You (운명처럼 널 사랑해)

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