“Fated to Love You” Episode 13 recap

Is there something in Daniel’s teeth, or did Mi Young just see Choi Jin Hyuk’s pictorials?

Side dish: It’s cherry season, and cherries are one of my favourite fruits. One delicious and easy way to make a quick dessert out of cherries is to make a cherry clafouti. Here’s a recipe from the Joy of Baking to get you started.

Episode Recap

Three years later, and it is like déjà vu: Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) is still barging in on commercial shoots for his products, and Kim Mi Young (Jang Na Ra) is still fetching coffee. The difference is that Gun is showing more patience with the model, K-pop rapper, Joon Park, and Mi Young is providing refreshments for the workers setting up her first solo exhibition.  Lee Gun is also more relaxed about his health, as his illness appears to be in remission.

Gun’s ex-girlfriend, Nam Se Ra (Wang Ji Won) is now a popular dance teacher who receives flowers and a necklace from her students. Gun takes Se Ra to a restaurant, and it becomes apparent that they are only friends. However, Mi Young spots them just as Gun is putting the necklace on Se Ra, and is visibly distraught at seeing her ex with his ex-girlfriend acting like a couple.

Daniel (Choi Jin Hyuk) drops heavy hints to Mi Young that he would like to be more than friends. He tries repeatedly for skinship, and makes his feelings for her apparent before business associates and her family, but Mi Young simply demurs while looking aghast.

Unbeknownst to Mi Young, her mother (Song Ok Suk) is secretly feeding Gun at her restaurant. She and Gun speak brusquely with each other, but there is obvious affection. In comparison, Mom is formal and cautious around Daniel, not ready to become familiar with him despite his insistence.

In the last three years, Gun has refused to date anyone, in spite of pressure from his grandmother, because his ex-wife is still on his mind. In addition to visiting her mother, Gun has been keeping tabs on Mi Young’s budding art career. Gun secretly makes the trip to attend the opening of Mi Young’s exhibition. At the hotel, he requests Room 2006, but is forced to settle for 2009. To Mi Young’s chagrin, she gets room 2006.

Gun whips himself into a frenzy over the prospect of meeting his ex-wife at her opening reception. Once there, he pretends to be an international man of mystery by leaping from hiding spot to hiding spot then using pamphlets as a disguise. Gun ends up purchasing Mi Young’s prized painting, “Le soupir”, because it features a child simulating snails with her fingers à la Gun.

Mi Young attempts to reach the buyer of “Le soupir” to request the painting back, not knowing that it’s her ex-husband. They exchange text messages, and Gun is repeatedly on the cusp of revealing himself as the buyer. In the end, he decides not to meet Mi Young face-to-face when it becomes apparent that, in spite of her enviable life, Mi Young has not gotten over the miscarriage.

Later that night, a drunk Gun tries unsuccessfully to unlock the door to Room 2006. Inside Room 2006, an alarmed Mi Young calls security, then, wielding a stiletto, runs right into Gun, and lands on top of him. Gun and Mi Young quickly go from surprise to bickering as both insist that Room 2006 is theirs.

Comments

Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다: There are gaps in my understanding of Episode 13. This may be a language barrier thing, or it could be that I was overwhelmed by so much going on.

Only 만: Well, the focus has been firmly on our lead couple for quite a few episodes, so in this episode they try to catch you up with everybody three years later, and it did get confusing. But, it was good to see Gun and Mi Young not looking miserable.

Junggugeo Kaenada: I think the fact that they chose to mirror the beginning of Episode 13 after the beginning of the series was cute. Unfortunately, I started making comparisons in my head between the past and present, and everything became convoluted. However, as you say, Gun and Mi Young appear to be in a better place in their lives.

Only: I liked the parallel, but as I’ve said before, this is why I don’t like time skips as major plot device; it’s like a reset button in the middle of the show. On the other hand, I am glad that neither Gun nor Mi Young seems fundamentally different, and I’m also relieved that they haven’t instantly recovered.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Yes, superficially, it would appear that Mi Young is almost unrecognizable, as her brother-in-law notes. Yet, she remains scarred by the miscarriage, and Gun is still very interested in his ex-wife. Gun’s grandmother, his half-brother, and Daniel are also all longing for Mi Young. Though, there is one significant difference there: Daniel has gotten creepier.

Only: But, Mi Young seems sort of oblivious to it, which I find a little weird. Did she not notice in three years that Daniel was basically giving her the full court press? Or, did he get more aggressive as time went on?

Junggugeo Kaenada: I don’t think Mi Young is oblivious to Daniel’s interest in taking their relationship to the next level. I think she is trying to politely ignore his barrage of come-ons. After all, she owes so much of her career to him, and since he is so handsome and successful, she finds it hard to explain why she is not attracted to him.

Only: If Daniel is a friend, then the kind thing to do would be to firmly refuse, not politely ignore. Especially considering her reaction to spotting Gun at the restaurant with Se Ra, where it’s obvious that her feelings are still with him.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Mi Young’s fantastic mother obviously still has feelings for her ex-son-in-law. Mom is so familiar with Gun that they are lovingly bickering with each other, while she cannot seem to get comfortable with Daniel. Perhaps, she senses that Mi Young is not entirely committed to Daniel, no matter how great of a catch he is.

Only: Yes, she and Gun seem to have developed a comfortable relationship in Mi Young’s absence, while she looked sort of nonplussed when Daniel called her ‘mother’. It’s pretty clear the whole family’s still on Gun’s side. Which made me wonder if they had learned something about Gun’s diagnosis in the intervening time.

Junggugeo Kaenada: I don’t know if Mi Young’s whole family is in Gun’s camp. Mom appears to be keeping her dinners with Gun a secret, and Mi Young’s sisters seem very eager to welcome Daniel into the family.

Only: Well, anyone confronted with Daniel’s epic cuteness, and not privy to his epic creepiness, would be welcoming.

Junggugeo Kaenada: We have to touch on the other major player who has not gotten over the past: Se Ra. She seems to have regained her senses and her dignity. And, while she is still longing for Gun, it is with a smile instead of crazy eyes.

Only: Yes, they seemed very companionable when they met for lunch, and she was nowhere near the level of desperation we were seeing in the last episode. I guess the intervening three years have been kind to Se Ra.

Junggugeo Kaenada: I wonder if this means that she will no longer be a major blockade to the reunion of Gun and Mi Young. Is Se Ra’s current sole purpose to be discovered by Daniel as his long lost sister?

Only: I suspect Daniel is going to be the major barrier between the couple in the second half, along with their shared history, since Gun appears to have gotten over his noble idiocy. That leaves Se Ra with little to do except to obviously be Daniel’s long lost sister, and a possible platonic support for Gun, much as Daniel was to Mi Young in the first half.

Junggugeo Kaenada: I felt badly for Daniel before Episode 13, because he waited on the sidelines so patiently for Mi Young. Though, I suppose after three years of having the object of your affections within reach is enough to prompt more aggressive measures. I am actually looking forward to Mi Young outright rejecting this creepy version of Daniel, and giving him blue balls for life.

Only: Well, I can imagine that three years of polite ignoring could force him to be more blunt, though agreed, it would be nice if she would finally put a stop to his creepy come-ons.

Only: On a lighter note, I was pleased to see the return of Ji Yeon, both as Grandma’s matchmaker, and as Lee Yong’s girlfriend? Stalker? What should we call her?

Junggugeo Kaenada: Proactive and aggressive noona?

Only: Aggressive noona is perfect. Hell, it should be my nickname.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Let’s talk about how insane Gun was in this episode, and how much I loved it.

Only: Sneaking in to the exhibit to the theme of “Inspector Gadget” was pretty awesome.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Only Gun would think that leaping and rolling around in a gallery then using the exhibition pamphlets as your disguise is a good way to stay incognito.

Only: Yes, and declaring himself to be Jang Hyuk at the bar in Chinese was another great way to stay under the radar. While wearing a zebra-patterned suit, no less.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Let us not forget the other meta moment, when Gun barged in on the commercial shoot featuring a member of g.o.d.

Only: It was pretty hilarious that Gun was quoting from their song, “To My Mother”, whose video starred Jang Hyuk.

Junggugeo Kaenada: Crazy Gun and Jang Hyuk references on the sly are both entertaining.

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Fated to Love You (운명처럼 널 사랑해)

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