One More Happy Ending episode 16 recap – Finale!

Episode Recap

Mi Mo’s (Jang Na Ra) perfect fantasy proposal by Soo Hyuk (Jung Kyung Ho) crashes and burns as she skips forward in time to Soo Hyuk leaving her. Back in reality, Mi Mo is having doubts about remarrying. When her friend and co-worker, Da Jung (Yoo Da In) comes to see what’s wrong, Mi Mo asks her why people get married if they can leave each other anyway. Da Jung points out that some people stay together, and uses herself as an example.

Meanwhile, Soo Hyuk and his ex-colleague, Hyun Ki go shopping for a ring, then prepare Soo Hyuk’s plan for his elaborate proposal to Mi Mo. Hyun Ki asks if Soo Hyuk and Mi Mo really have to get married, but Soo Hyuk is worried that Mi Mo will get away if he doesn’t do something. But, that night, when he proposes, Mi Mo tells Soo Hyuk that she wants more time, because she cares about him and wants to make sure that they don’t make a mistake.

Later, when Mi Mo goes home, Soo Hyuk’s son, Min Woo wonders what they’re going to do with Bbo Bbo, Mi Mo’s dog, and Soo Hyuk takes the opportunity to go over to Mi Mo’s house to complain about her fickleness. They argue, but it ends with Mi Mo comforting Soo Hyuk over her continued refusal. Later, Hyun Ki points out to Soo Hyuk that marriage is no guarantee that he won’t lose Mi Mo again.

Meanwhile, back at home, Min Woo explains to Mi Mo’s rival for Soo Hyuk’s affections, Soo Yeon, that she’ll have to give up, referring to the explosion of roses in their apartment set up for Soo Hyuk’s proposal. Soo Yeon has no interest in giving up, and goes to see Mi Mo. When Mi Mo refuses to give up on Soo Hyuk, Soo Yeon passes out in the hallway (I had no idea the modern women of Seoul were so delicate), and Mi Mo takes her to the hospital of Hae Joon (Kwon Yool).

While Soo Yeon is unconscious, Mi Mo and Hae Joon have a chat. Mi Mo brings up the fact that Hae Joon’s ex-wife, Yeon Soo (Hwang Sun Hee) had come to her office to be matched up. Hae Joon’s only response is to call the guys that she’s introducing too ordinary. Mi Mo points out that Yeon Soo has high standards, thanks to Hae Joon.

Meanwhile, Da Jung is surprised, but pleased when her newly reconciled husband, Gun Hak (Kim Tae Hoon) takes her hand as they walk. It turns out that they’re going to the hospital for a checkup on Da Jung’s surgery. Yeon Soo gives them the all clear, and Da Jung thanks Yeon Soo for helping her give her all on her marriage, so that she has no regrets. As they walk home, Gun Hak buys Da Jung a flower pot for her office.

Back at the office, Da Jung is interrupted from admiring her flower pot by Mi Mo, who announces that she was proposed to, and that she has doubts about marriage. Da Jung points out that she must really like Soo Hyuk to waver like this.

Their friend, Dong Mi (Yoo In Na) argues with her much younger boyfriend, Jung Woo about the timeline for marriage. Dong Mi wants to get married within three years, but Jung Woo insists on just dating without a view to marriage. Their other friend, Ae Ran (Seo In Young) counsels Dong Mi to go on blind dates while still dating Jung Woo.

Soo Hyuk whines to Hae Joon about how difficult it is to get married, and asks him if it was this hard with Yeon Soo. Hae Joon points out that the fact that it was easy is what made the marriage so painful. Hae Joon confesses to feeling guilty every time he looks at Yeon Soo.

At a meeting for her online shopping mall, Ae Ran’s ideas are shot down by the home shopping network representative. Ae Ran is accused of being too focused on her personal brand, and not enough on the needs and wants of the customers. The rep offers to meet with her again once she can offer better products.

Soo Hyuk attempts to convince Mi Mo that they should get married if a year of dating goes well. Mi Mo is not amenable to the idea, so instead, he tells her to hang on to the engagement ring, then offers a sticker sheet. If Soo Hyuk gets a full sheet of stickers for being a good boy, then they can marry in less than a year.

We’re treated to a montage of Mi Mo feeding Soo Hyuk, the couple bickering over her sloppy ways and his fastidiousness, and Soo Hyuk adding and subtracting stickers from his sticker sheet. Meanwhile, Da Jung and Gun Hak are having a more harmonious experience with food, cooking and eating dinner together with their son, then having breakfast in bed. 

Jung Woo abandons studying in order to interrupt Dong Mi’s speed dating event. When he greets her as his wife, Dong Mi pretends not to know him. He proceeds to announce to everyone that she belongs to him, and that he is about to be abandoned for a man with better credentials. An embarrassed Dong Mi takes the conversation outside and claims that they have broken up, because he is not willing to consider marriage. Jung Woo asks Dong Mi to wait a year for him, and Dong Mi happily agrees.

It’s time to go to bed, and Gun Hak proposes to Da Jung that they be together tonight. Da Jung is reluctant, because her mastectomy scar is still visible, and she is shy. They playfully argue about sleeping together until their son suddenly shows up and walks past.

When Ae Ran announces to her husband, Dong Bae (Park Eun Seok) that she wishes to get an MBA, he laughs at her, until he realizes that Ae Ran is being serious. She realizes that she can only coast on her idol past for so long, so she must study in order to build her business. Dong Bae gives her his full support.

Yeon Soo is already getting an engagement ring from a practically minded suitor who points out that they’re old and don’t have time to waste. She shows the ring to Hae Joon and announces that she will end her feelings for him out of courtesy for the new man in her life. Hae Joon apologizes again and hopes she has a happy future, and she wishes the same for him.

Mi Mo is disconcerted when Soo Hyuk finishes off his sticker sheet, and complains that he cheated. Soo Hyuk becomes furious when he realizes that he will never be granted the final sticker, because Mi Mo wishes to put off their marriage indefinitely. He whips the sticker sheet on the floor and storms out.

The two happily married couples have a double date at the bowling alley. A group Polaroid is taken, and Da Jung adds it to her scrapbook for couples’ camp. She admits to Ae Ran that the silly assignments have worked in saving her marriage. Ae Ran reveals that she wishes to go back to school and Da Jung congratulates her.

Soo Hyuk is tossing and turning over the uncertainty of his marriage timeline when he decides to go out for coffee. He gets into a car accident, and Mi Mo receives a call from Hae Joon in the middle of the night. She rushes to the hospital and is directed by a nurse to a patient completely covered in bandages.

As Mi Mo is sobbing over the unconscious patient, Soo Hyuk watches her from behind with a look of concern. Hae Joon ambles up and admits to being jealous of Soo Hyuk for having Mi Mo care so much about him. When Soo Hyuk finally makes his presence known to Mi Mo, she is understandably pissed. Soo Hyuk casually blames the misunderstanding on Hae Joon. The couple hug it out after leaving the hospital.

Da Jung announces to the girls that she is having a marriage vows renewal ceremony. Normally, Dong Mi would be envious, but she is satisfied with waiting the one year for her boyfriend.

Soo Hyuk meets Mi Mo as she is closing up her office for the night and reiterates his proposal of marriage. This time, he reminds her of her emotional declaration of life long commitment to the bandaged patient who served as his proxy. When Mi Mo says nothing, Soo Hyuk continues to try selling himself as an ideal husband. Mi Mo escapes into her apartment, and Soo Hyuk loudly vows not to give up.

As Da Jung walks down the aisle towards Gun Hak, her three girlfriends trail her while clapping. Everyone is present to witness this happy occasion. Mi Mo is pleased to see that marriage is something with meaning and effort behind it for Da Jung and Gun Hak. When Dong Mi asks if she has made a decision about marrying Soo Hyuk, Mi Mo only stares lovingly at Soo Hyuk.

Soo Hyuk snatches the bouquet right before it lands in the hands of Mi Mo’s employee. Mi Mo looks aghast as Soo Hyuk approaches her and stops him as he is about to go on one knee. She takes out the ring he gave her for safekeeping, drops to one knee, and proposes to him. Soo Hyuk shouts, “Abso-fucking-lutely” and everyone cheers. Soo Hyuk sweeps Mi Mo into his arms and they giddily spin around to universal applause.

Comments

This was about as good as it gets for “One More Happy Ending”. They dragged out the bickering between Mi Mo and Soo Hyuk, and milked the resolution of every other couple conflict, but at least, we got to see Jang Na Ra and Jung Kyung Ho exercising a bit of their comedic chemistry.

I was pleasantly surprised that the writers did not force Hae Joon back with his ex-wife, Yeon Soo. Her decision to move on is unusual in a Kdrama, which I applaud, though the writers did not end the relationship in a satisfactory manner. She is still holding on to his first gift in her purse!

Viewers have to gloss over practically every happy ending if we are to accept them. There is no guarantee that Dong Mi will not have wasted a year waiting in vain for her younger boyfriend, Ae Ran may not get into an MBA program, and Mi Mo and Soo Hyuk are starting a marriage based on insecurity and coercion.

The only happy ending I could get behind was Da Jung and Gun Hak. Their work on their marriage was stretched out sufficiently that the new affection they demonstrated to each other was completely believable.

More discussion in our upcoming series review.

One More Happy Ending (한번 더 해피엔딩)

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