Presentation
Korean Title: 결혼작사 이혼작곡 2
Aired in: 2021 (16 episodes)
Channel: TV Chosun
Grade: 9/10
Actors: Sung Hoon, Lee Ga Ryeong, Park Joo Mi, Lee Tae Kon, Jeon No Min and Jeon Soo Kyung
Previous review Season 1
Analysis
My Opinion (No Spoiler)
Remember in the previous review, when I said I was actually disappointed with the annoying focus on how husbands and mistresses met!? Well, in season 2 I have to admit that there is definitely no room for disappointment! I really love the fact that this drama is quite controversial and arousing debates among viewers, I think it really gives some credibility to the story because in the end, these situations are more than realistic.
Love (feat Marriage and Divorce) 2 perfectly does its job, answering some crucial questions of the previous season, while introducing new elements that definitely make me think (and hope) that a third season is on its way!
Can’t wait for more mess and madness!
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
In the second season, the intrigue starts right where it had ended. So for a better analysis, I will focus on each trio and then, add the new elements.
The relationships:
Pan Sa Hyun/Boo Hye Ryung/Song Won: In season 1, Boo Hye Ryung had discovered her husband’s affair and the fact that Song Won was pregnant. But, she knew nothing else about her, no even her face nor name. Swallowing her pride, Hye Ryung had decided not to get a divorce. She promised Sa Hyun and his parents that she will swipe this affair under the rug and try to have a baby on her own.
At that point in the drama, I think Hye Ryung had no other way out. In order to preserve her reputation, and probably to torture her husband, she was pretty adamant about not getting a divorce. This led to a lot of well-deserved suffering for Sa Hyun and Song Won: they essentially broke up, promised not to see each other again and that Sa Hyun’s parents would take care of Song Won and the baby. Sa Hyun in most of the season is thus torn between his love for Song Won and his unborn child and his guilt towards Hye Ryung. Still, he tries to make things right. Unfortunately, Sa Hyun remains this immature and irresponsible man, unable to make decisions on his own (meaning without his parents) and to disregard his selfish desires. That’s why, he continues to insist on seeing Song Won, to the point that they all end up having a meal at the restaurant.
That’s when Boo Hye Ryung arrives and discovers that she, somehow, seems to have become the hidden woman. As impulsive as she is, she explodes (who wouldn’t have?), slaps Sa Hyun in the fact and attacks Song Won. Hye Ryung finally gets to see the mistress’ face and to speak her truth. Once they are back at the apartment, Song Won reveals her real face in an imaginary scene, in which she accuses Boo Hye Ryung of the affair. Briefly explained, Song Won said it was Hye Ryung’s fault for not treating her husband well. She is the reason why he cheated on her. Yet, instead of saying that, Song Won takes full responsibility. This gives her credit in her in-laws’ eyes, who can’t help but praise her for her maturity and righteousness. And once again, Hye Ryung is turned into the villain.
In retrospect, I really believe that Song Won is a hypocrite. She hides her cunning side behind an innocent and pure mask. If you trace back all of her actions since the beginning of the drama, she has done nothing but acting kind, while deceiving and hurting others for selfish motives. For example, when she decided to prove to Sa Hyun that they couldn’t be together, she had no better idea, but to have sex with him. Then, she discovered she was pregnant and decided to keep the baby, essentially because of her infertility problems in the past and for fear of never becoming a mother. If she was really repenting, she probably wouldn’t have told Sa Hyun about the baby, or she would’ve found a clear way to distance herself from him completely (like going to her brother’s in Jeju Island). Yet, by telling him, she could only expect him to want to stay with her. Unconsciously, I think she knew that Sa Hyun wouldn’t give up and that reassured her in the idea that she was not going to be alone. However, she pretended to be a pure person by saying they should break up. Meanwhile, she acted all sorry and guilty in front of Sa Hyun’s parents, arousing their compassion and empathy towards her. Why wouldn’t they like this nice, “mature” and sad woman, carrying their grandson?
I say “mature” because Song Won is 40+, so she knows what she is doing, she is not innocent anymore. I think, at some point, she is aware of the repercussions of her every move: among them is accepting Sa Hyun as a constant part of her life, despite having said their relationship was over. Like this, she could easily replace Hye Ryung in everyone’s lives and throw her out of the picture. It is true that roles between the wife and the mistress were kind of reversed at that moment, which surely pissed me off. Even the in-laws’ attitude is intolerable: instead of protecting their daughter-in-law (Hye Ryung) and not getting involved (because frankly this is not their place), they happened to be comparing both women constantly, favoring Song Won (the mistress) over Hye Ryung (the actual wife).
The turning point in that trio is the fact that Hye Ryung discovers she may never have children because of infertility problems. She actually ends up in the same situation as Song Won before her divorce, all the more reasons to hate the latter. In the end, she made another woman suffer what she has suffered in the past for the exact same reasons. Like I said, a hypocrite. Anyway, with that information in mind, Hye Ryung found a way to get her revenge and protect her reputation at the same time. Like the saying goes: “Revenge is a dish best savored cold”. Indeed, Hye Ryung (who is generally very honest and frank) weaseled her way out of her marriage, by betraying and backstabbing everyone, the same way they did to her. She announced her divorce with a smile on her face, while getting a hefty sum in exchange. Then, she held a press conference, during which she revealed the entire truth. This created a backlash towards Sa Hyun’s family. Better, it was clearly enjoyable to watch. The Sa Family really got a taste of their own medicine here.
Of course, Hye Ryung pretended her emotions got the best of her. The mystery remains with Hye Ryung’s will to see the unborn child and still be a part of the family. Is it because she knows she won’t have children, so she wants to be close to at least this one? Is she scheming something else? Who knows what goes on in her mind? One thing is for certain though, she has set her heart on her wealthy colleague Seo Ban, whom she knows to be a chaebol for a fact. In a scene, Hye Ryung confirms that marrying a rich family would be the best revenge against her now ex-husband. So, now we just have to see who Hye Ryung ends up with, if she does end up with someone else.
Sa Pi Young/Shin Yu Shin/A Mi: This trio is probably the most painful and the funniest of the season. At the end of season 1, Pi Young is unaware of her husband’s affair. However, she is onto something (especially regarding the jacket she offered Yu Shin, he then offered to A Mi). Her colleague, Lee Si Eun tries to warn her too, so Pi Young becomes quite suspicious. Feeling that the wind is not blowing in his favor, Yu Shin quickly puts an end to his relationship with A Mi. Unfortunately for him, A Mi is not the complacent type. Instead of accepting the break-up, she acts out, trying to hurt herself so that she would be taken care of by the doctor. Like we said previously, A Mi is like an unstable and capricious child, whose loneliness pushes her to hold on to almost anyone. So, she forces her way back into Yu Shin’s life. The latter doesn’t listen to his head and prefers following his ego (his need to be seen as a protector). That’s why, he continues to take care of A Mi.
Of course, Sa Pi Young finds out. Yet, this happens in surely the worst possible way. Just when she learns about her mother’s imminent death due to cancer, she witnesses her husband embracing A Mi at the hospital. The shock is so intense, that she stops talking for a while. Later on, we discover that her aphasia comes from the fact that she was so emotionally overwhelmed and mad at Yu Shin, that she couldn’t express herself. Knowing Pi Young’s personality, I couldn’t expect less than to see her asking for a divorce, without further ado. Indeed, Pi Young is a rational person, who weighs the pros and cons. Moreover, she also has a lot of self-worth and enough courage to stand firm and not accept her husband’s disrespect. Out of the three wives, she was surely the most devoted. She was loving, caring and present. Her marriage was also very happy, which makes the affair even more unacceptable and incomprehensible.
This split led to one of the drama’s most iconic, and controversial episodes: the 1-hour-long ping-pong match between Yu Shin and Pi Young in their apartment. To be honest, there are so many elements to analyze in this episode: Yu Shin’s cowardice, trying to weasel his way out of it by blaming men in general and the way they have been wired (a.k.a. men are meant to cheat on their wives at some point), his shameless use of his daughter as leverage to prevent Pi Young from divorcing, saying that Ji Ah will be ostracized, criticized, bullied and won’t have a normal childhood, his use of Pi Young’s mother to convince her not to go through the same predicament. Yu Shin constantly tries to justify his actions, when there is in fact nothing to justify. He never assumes his responsibilities and recognizes that what he did was disrespectful and simply wrong. At the end of the episode, both seem to find an arrangement. They get a divorce after Pi Young’s hard work and she and Ji Ah leave the house.
Pi Young finally enjoys her freedom and time with Ji Ah (who knows nothing about the divorce), while Yu Shin’s torture is about to begin. His crazy mistress and step-mother both decide to move in with him. Personalities clash, they hate and hit each other and it is clearly fun to see the backlash in Yu Shin’s face. Interestingly, I think that is also when he realizes what he has lost and gained (two crazy ladies fighting in his house for his affection). At the end of season 2, Yu Shin keeps forcing his way into Pi Young’s life and wishes to regain his place by her side, but Pi Young stands firm on her ground. She refuses any form of connection and uses A Mi to work against Yu Shin. Meanwhile, she laughs hard imagining the fights back at home and even gets closer to Seo Ban after a series of coincidences. These events naturally make Yu Shin jealous, but he has no right to speak.
As for A Mi in that mess, her parents discover her affair, at the same time A Mi finds out who her father actually is. Remember the story about the oriental doctor, well turns out he is A Mi’s father. They actually meet and both her mother and father try to reason with her regarding her affair. The oriental doctor even goes to Yu Shin’s to accelerate the break-up. Yet, after a time, the parents let their daughter be and live her life. A Mi remains convinced that what she feels for Yu Shin is love, and that it is reciprocated.
Lee Si Eun/Park Hae Ryun/Nam Ga Bin: Si Eun and Hae Ryun are the only couple who divorced in season 1. Because of that, their presence in season 2 was quite reduced. Lee Si Eun went on with her life, raising her kids properly and going to work. Though the bond has been broken between ex-spouses, Hae Ryun still tries to maintain a connection with his children. He sees U Ram in secret and buys his way into his life, while Hyang Gi is a bit more difficult to convince. Just like her mother, Hyang Gi uncovers the mistress’ identity, as none other than the musical star Nam Ga Bin. This is a shocking event for her, to the point that she drives to her house, enraged. The only reason Nam Ga Bin remains unscathed is because Hyang Gi is stopped by her father in front of the building. I have to say that the way Hae Ryun treated Hyang Gi and protected her mistress is unacceptable. A behavior that Hyang Gi also noticed and resented. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with her father anymore nor the mistress.
Meanwhile, Nam Ga Bin is becoming even more shameless than she already was. At the beginning of season 2, she calls Si Eun to ask for forgiveness and ask her to let the kids assist to her future wedding. She acts all lovey-dovey with Hae Ryun, and they already imagine their future together. Indeed, seeing Song Won pregnant, Ga Bin also wants to have a child of her own before it is too late.
However, just when happiness is at its peak for these two home wreckers, tragedy or should I rather say karma, hits them in the face. Nam Ga Bin’s parents die in the same car accident back in Spain. This leads to a series of unexpected events: Seo Dong Ma (who is her ex and Seo Ban’s brother) asks her to marry him. Nam Ga Bin realizes that she doesn’t love Hae Ryun, she actually used him to get back at Dong Ma since day one, and breaks up with it. Even though the scene should’ve made me feel sad, I didn’t have an ounce of empathy for Hae Ryun. He brought it on himself, and his ungratefulness towards Si Eun was punished. In the end, he is left all alone (as if this was not expected). At the end of the season, Ga Bin drives frenetically to Si Eun’s house, fearing that Hae Ryun might have done something dangerous. She breaks down in tears, in Si Eun’s arms, forced with Hyang Gi to take her inside their home.
I have to say that this scene proved how selfless, kind and generous Si Eun actually is. Even if Ga Bin has ruined her marriage and destroyed her family, she still embraces her during her break down. This is just enough to show how undeserving of her Hae Ryun was and how worthless Nam Ga Bin is compared to her.
Sa Hyun’s parents: Despite their unbelievable behavior towards Hye Ryung, Sa Hyun’s parents have a story of their own going on as well. Indeed, Pan Moon Ho is totally disrespectful towards his wife, So Ye Jung. He takes her for granted constantly and shows her less love and affection than her dog Dong Mi. Ye Jung is used to being routinely belittled by her husband (it’s been going on for years), but she really explodes when Moon Ho is full of little attentions for Dong Mi, his past crush. This is too much for Ye Jung. So, she leaves him alone and goes on a trip. They eventually reconcile, when Moon Ho realizes he may lose her at this rate. He promises to change, what he does, and becomes a devoted (maybe too devoted) husband.
Compared to the other couples involved in mess, scandals and affairs, this couple is a breeze of fresh air. They are no cheater in the relationship (that we know of at least, nothing’s for certain) and they manage to get closer to each other, simply by communicating and compromising. Maybe, some other people should’ve taken them as examples, like their own son Sa Hyun for instance.
Seo Ban/Song Won: Though they only met a couple of times only in the second season, there seems to be an underlying love interest to develop here. Seo Ban shows a lot of interest in Song Won’s work as a Chinese teacher and in her unborn baby. He says that at his age he misses children, so he would do what it takes to be beside one. Seo Ban is also quite adamant about having Song Won as a teacher, which leaves room for a future narrative.
Karma: While a lot of people argue that cheaters are not being punished as they should be, I carefully agree to disagree. Though the writer is taking her time to show us some well-deserved punishment, she has in fact already started to shake off the foundations of each relationship. Using unexpected turns of events, she actually pushes husbands in the corner and forces them to realize what they have lost. In the end, they are meant to be eaten by regret and guilt, knowing that there is no possible turning back. On top of that, karma seems to hit characters at their happiest time, punishing them somehow for having sinned. In a funny and strange way, each cheater is being hurt the same way they hurt their partner.
Ga Bin/Hae Ryun – a life for a life:The best and most direct example of that is Nam Ga Bin. She ruined Si Eun’s marriage, encouraged Hae Ryun to get a divorce and start a new family with her. Yet, she dated him for the wrong reasons, for greed and selfish motives. When she thought she couldn’t be happier and ready to start a new life, her parents died tragically. None of them would assist to her wedding. Because she destroyed Si Eun’s ordinary life (and Hyang Gi and U Ram’s), karma took her dearest people from her. She even herself admits that her bad behavior is the reason her parents died so suddenly.
On the other hand, because of that event, Ga Bin leaves Hae Ryun. Interestingly, she uses the same motives he used against his own wife. Remember, he said he didn’t love her anymore, that time had gone by and he had fallen for someone else. Well, isn’t that exactly what Ga Bin said to him? She said she liked him but didn’t love him and she needed to get married to someone she loves.
Sa Hyun/Hye Ryung – the backstab: Like I mentioned previously, Hye Ryung got out of her marriage with so much panache. She managed to backstab Sa Hyun and his family, the exact same way he backstabbed her with his affair. She lied to his face with a smile on it, pretended to be compliant and hurt their pride by outing the event to the press. While Song Won acted like the poor pregnant lady and was seen as the kind, innocent woman by Sa Hyun’s parents; Boo Hye Ryung got the exact same emotions from public opinion.
Yu Shin/Pi Young – a never-ending torture: This one is pretty much indirect but quite joyful in my opinion. Indeed, when Pi Young learned of her husband’s affair, she had just lost her mother. That was at the hospital and after that shock, Pi Young became mute. For days, she was in inner turmoil, tormented, dwelling on the affair, navigating between anger, rage, grief and trying to make sense out of this senseless situation. In a way, this was literally torture for her, leaving her with a deep emotional scar.
So how can you payback Yu Shin for this torture? By torturing him in return, by making him see what he has lost every single day and for what. With Sa Pi Young, Yu Shin was living a comfortable life. His wife was mature and never nagged him. Yet, he ends up having to bear the young immature A Mi and his step-mother in the same apartment, always bickering and asking for Yu Shin to take sides. Only under these circumstances can Yu Shin understand the gravity of his action and its bitter consequences. Meanwhile, Sa Pi Young can enjoy her free time and laugh at these three idiots.
Of course, I would’ve loved to see more punishments, like when Hye Ryung grabbed Song Won’s hair for instance. And although it hasn’t happened yet, I am pretty sure that it will come later on. Fingers crossed. This is just the beginning.
Actors’ performance: I am very impressed by the cast I have to say. Their respective performance is flawless, Par Joo Mi has been nothing but a great asset to the drama thanks to her outstanding portrayal of grief, as well as Im Hye Young (Nam Ga Bin) in the last episodes.
All actors really embodied perfectly their character and gave the story a dramatic and realistic vibe. All marriages don’t necessarily end well, many people cheat and I have to praise the drama for having depicted these complex real-life situations.
I would also add that there is no moral to take away from the drama. I don’t think the screenwriter is trying to glamorize or romanticize anything. She is just showing what life is like, what relationships are like and the broad spectrum of behaviors people have when they are in one.
Did season 2 answer our questions of season 1?
In the previous review, I had mentioned a few loose ends that needed to be tied up in this season. Let’s see if that’s the case:
– The reaction of the wives: will they discover the mistresses’ identities? Will they get a divorce, turn a blind eye, humiliate the mistress and the husband?
Yes, all wives have discovered the affair and are definitely not turned a blind eye. All have gotten a divorce. As for the humiliation, let’s say that it was partly done.
– How will husbands either hide or deal with their situation?
The odds were quite against them and at some point, the truth has to see the light. Even if Yu Shin tried to mend the relationship, trust was already broken. Hae Ryun just moved on with his life, like Sa Hyun after his divorce.
– What is the story of the oriental doctor?
He is actually A Mi’s father. Her mother had her without her father knowing. He also has a close relationship with Yu Shin, as they go to the same horse center. This accelerates the discovery regarding A Mi and Yu Shin’s affair.
– Will Seo Ban find someone, be involved with one of the female leads?
Not quite yet, but Pi Young and Hye Ryung seem interested and Song Won has already hit it off with him.
– Will Dong Mi’s crime be discovered?
Not yet, even though at the end Ji Ah is possessed by the grandfather’s ghost (yes there is a ghost) and he is about to reveal the whole truth.
– How will new characters be introduced in this mess?
Fortunately, there are no real new characters apart from Dong Ma, who was already briefly introduced in season 1. It is already messy with all the other characters.
The ending: The ending that everyone has been talking about is surely crazy. I was myself very astonished by it. So, what happens?
Nam Ga Bin said goodbye to Hae Ryun and had a nervous breakdown at Si Eun’s. Song Won was having contractions, making us think that she was about to give birth one week in advance. Then, and that is the unbelievable part, three cars arrive, transporting brides.
That’s when it all goes wrong, as couples seem to shuffle: Sa Hyun and A Mi, Seo Ban and Song Won, and Pi Young and Dong Ma are about to get married. Meanwhile, Ji Ah is possessed by the ghost of Yu Shin’s father, who has been wandering for a while now, and terrorizes Dong Mi.
Potential questions to be answered in season 3: So this unexpected ending left me in a very perplex state, hoping for a season 3 to explain everything that went wrong. Here are some loose ends (again):
– Does Song Won give birth? Does the baby die? Or is it alive?
My theory: I think there are two possibilities here:
1. First Song Won’s baby died, which leads to a lot of grief. She holds herself responsible for the death of the child, because she has sinned, remember she goes to church to thank God for the gift. Maybe she was too greedy by wanting the baby and the man, so she lost her child. That would be karma once again. Feeling responsible for it or being blamed by Sa Hyun’s family, she and Sa Hyun put an end to their relationship. Song Won ended up being Seo Ban’s Chinese teacher, who comforted her and helped her overcome her loss. That would explain the marriage.
2. The baby is alive and everything seems to go smoothly. Song Won becomes Seo Ban’s Chinese teacher and sometimes brings her baby to the lessons, as he requested. They find out that they are on the same wavelength, same age range and Song Won cheats on Sa Hyun / or breaks up with him to be with Seo Ban, leading to their marriage.
– How would Sa Hyun and A Mi meet?
My theory: I personally think that A Mi and Sa Hyun meet through Song Won. If the baby is actually born and they throw a baby shower, it would really make sense that both the father and the best friend are present. They may meet at such an event and realize they have a lot in common. Worse (or better), Song Won could be the one introducing each other.
– How would A Mi and Sa Hyun develop feelings for each other?
My theory: Well, if A Mi is having troubles convincing Yu Shin she is the one, she might want to turn to Sa Hyun for some advice. Being a man in the same position as Yu Shin (a cheater who ended up with the mistress), she might think he knows best. Giving advice to her and seeing her fail or succeed might bring them closer.
– How would Sa Pi Young and Seo Dong Ma meet?
My theory: This encounter could be induced by Seo Ban. Seo Ban has a lot of respect for Sa Pi Young and he appreciates her as well. He holds her in high regard and could be the one provoking the meeting. Moreover, Seo Ban knows that his brother thinks he is in love with Nam Ga Bin and pushes her to marry him. But Nam Ga Bin is not really on board, as shown in the last episode of season 2. She doesn’t want to marry someone she doesn’t love, meaning that Dong Ma may not be the one either. Moreover, Seo Dong Ma tends to change his mind (and feelings) constantly, so not sure that Ga Bin will be endgame here.
Finally, Pi Young and Dong Ma frequent the same bar, which could naturally open the way for some dates there or some advice-sharing on life. The mystery remains in the “how”. How do they fall in love? Is it, by the way, a “love marriage” or purely an interested one? Pi Young getting her revenge on Yu Shin and Dong Ma on Ga Bin, if she decides to go back with Hae Ryun?
– Does Lee Si Eun meet someone else?
I really hope they will introduce someone nice for this lady, and more importantly that she will not go back with Hae Ryun (worst case scenario). I would also be satisfied with an ending, in which she just lives her life peacefully and happily with her kids.
– Do Hae Ryun and Ga Bin go back together? Stay broken up? Get married? Meet new people?
I have a feeling that whatever is going to happen between them will have a domino effect on other characters’ relationships, especially Dong Ma. Whether Ga Bin accepts him back or not, his fate will be sealed.
– Does Hae Ryun reconcile with his children?
– What about Boo Hye Ryung?
The biggest mystery remains here: obviously her three love interests are already taken, Seo Ban, Sa Hyun and Dong Ma. So with whom will she end up? Unless these scenes at the end are nightmares she is having in which she sees everyone getting married apart from her. I can only imagine a scenario in which they introduce new characters.
– Will Boo Hye Ryung manage to have children in the end?
In season 2, it seemed like Hye Ryung’s view on pregnancy and having kids shifted a lot, making her miss what she may never have. Will it change though? Will she get pregnant?
– Does the oriental doctor die from his horse fall?
We know nothing about that at the end of season 2, but maybe the accident will influence A Mi. If she learns that her father is at the hospital and he convinces her to break up with Yu Shin, she may do it to please him.
– So, do Yu Shin and Dong Mi end up together in the end?
Considering the last scene of season 2, both characters still live in the same house. The only problem is that Ji Ah is also there. So, she is either visiting her father’s or Yu Shin took her custody after knowing Pi Young was in a relationship with Dong Ma.
– Will Yu Shin discover Dong Mi’s crime? What will he do, if that’s the case? Will she pay for it?
– Do the three weddings take place at the same time? Are they even real? Are they happening at the same moment, as the possession scene? (that would mean that Ji Ah is not present at her mother’s wedding)?
– Will we finally have more punishment against the cheaters?
Anyway, a lot of questions that need a definite answer!
P.S.: As always, I loved the OST of the drama “Love Again”!
P.S.2.: I am definitely hoping for a Season 3, which may be confirmed soon enough considering the high ratings of the second season!
Once Upon a Drama 