Episode 11 Review of the Greatest Marriage (최고의 결혼)


I'm pleased to say that this episode is better than the previous one. For once there is no Park Tae Yun at all. Our screen is actually free of this loathsomeness.

 

And there is only a few minutes of Hyun Myung Yi.

 

Unfortunately even in those minutes we could see the resemblance between her and her mother in law. She looks fragile and gentle but I'm sure murder wouldn't even faze her.

 

I hope we’ll see a showdown between these two women as long as it only takes a few seconds. Or better yet, seeing them as bosom buddies.

I’m not a fan of time jump but I like how it doesn’t force a drastic unrealistic change on us. All the characters still have the same personalities that they have three years ago. Which I love.

But on the other hand I hate the fact that it keeps Park Tae Yun away from Hyun Myung Yi’s bed. A herculean feat that I’m sure he couldn’t do all by himself.

The writer is probably going to help this scumbag from bedding his own wife by giving him amnesia or something but I’m going to entertain myself by imagining that out there (wherever he was, not that I’m interested) he has made a few more babies.

During the viewing of the Greatest Marriage I’ve learned that I’m happiest when Park Tae Yun and Hyun Myung Yi manage to exceed my expectation in how awful they could be.

This drama has turned me into a masochist I’m afraid.

Although not really hating the time jump in this drama, I find it disappointing how after three years Cha Ki Young is still a downtrodden woman.

Not that I hope in such a short time she would become a world renown  feminist or become a millionaire on her own, but I did hope that she would be in a slightly better position.

I know that being a single mother Cha Ki Young doesn’t have enough room to breath let alone being on top of her game. I know a woman would only be free (relatively free) to do whatever she likes and give her best only after their children have grown up or old enough to take care of themselves.

So, it’s actually understandable that Cha Ki Young wins the top spot as the worst female employee in the company. But I’m not happy with it.

We’re already at episode 11, there’s only 5 episodes left. I need to see her successful. I need to see her using her brain and strength to fight against all odds.

She has Jo Eun Cha. She could use him instead of being used by him.  

But, despite its unapologetic attitude in displaying how loathsome the male characters in this drama can be, I notice how careful the writer is when it comes to her female lead.

The writer doesn’t seem to have enough courage to give Cha Ki Young a shrewdness she badly needs for fear that the heroine might loose the audience’s love and perhaps sympathy.

But she is wrong.

The Cha Ki Young from earlier episodes, the one who was even respected and acknowledged by Jo Eun Cha needs to return to the scene. ASAP.

Cha Ki Young needs to become stronger not weaker. A sly heroin is more admirable than a pushover one. A pushover could not win a war against those that Cha Ki Young has to face.

And let’s not forget the best thing about this particular episode. Jo Eun Cha.


Cha Ki Young has the wonderfully crafty Jo Eun Cha on her side. Sure, she doesn’t trust him, but he needs her just as much as she needs him if not more so.

I love seeing how the good Jo Eun Cha in a blink of an eye turns into an opportunistic Jo Eun Cha.

But what I love the most is feeling how my love for him keeps growing despite the fact that he is still the same Jo Eun Cha from earlier episodes.

My love for him grows with each passing episode that subtly reveals how good Jo Eun Cha really is.

Hyun Myung Yi tries to do good things and being pleasant in front of other people, while deep down inside she plots and calculates.

While Jo Eun Cha spontaneously does good thing with love in his heart only to end up pretending to do good thing to get credits for what he does freely.

He calculates the pros and cons of his good deeds, when truth be told, he’ll do them anyway for free. I love seeing how quick he is in turning everything into his benefits.

His ambition to go into politics suits him perfectly. But, if he wants to get women’s votes he’s going to need Cha Ki Young.

And if Cha Ki Young wants to be free from the Parks (which any sane women would do) she needs Jo Eun Cha’s full cooperation and support.

I love seeing this couple interacts and I love seeing how Chan Dan is included and always in the middle of negotiation between Cha Ki Young and Jo Eun Cha.

The three of them make a rather weird but endearing threesome. 


I’m looking forward to seeing Jo Eun Cha and Cha Ki Young fight together against their common enemies which are discriminatory society and patriarchal system.

I long to see the real Jo Eun Cha.

Not the Jo Eun Cha who pretends to be good and sincere. Not the Jo Eun Cha who pretends to fight for women’s right. Not Jo Eun Cha who smiles brightly or tearing up in front of the cameras.

But Jo Eun Cha who is a really good man. Jo Eun Cha who really understands the hardship of being a woman, a single mother, and an outcast in her own community.

I predicted that I have to deal with a lot of mess after time jump but I’m happy that I’m wrong. Praying that it keeps getting better towards the ending.

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