The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract: Episodes 9-10
by DaebakGrits
Destiny has not been sort to our OTP, and it’s by no means been extra obvious than now, as the reality concerning the previous — and the way it’s repeating itself — is revealed. The extra our characters learn about their lives in Joseon, the tougher and extra perilous their job turns into sooner or later to make sure they discover a blissful ending.
EPISODES 9-10
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract continues to be my weekend blissful place, however the extra in love I fall with our OTP and their romance, the much less I benefit from the time journey factor that introduced them collectively. At first, I couldn’t work out why the story wasn’t fairly resonating with me any extra regardless that I continued to chortle and squee my approach via all of the episodes, however I’ve lastly figured it out: I don’t just like the unstated concept that Destiny has seemingly cursed Tae-ha and Yeon-woo regardless of their innocence.
Conventional Okay-drama logic would dictate that our heroes are solely fated to have tragic or cursed reincarnations in the event that they did one thing (or have been perceived as having achieved one thing) unhealthy or dangerous to others of their previous lives. That isn’t the case with Tae-ha and Yeon-woo. As an alternative, they have been each the victims of the Kang household’s plot to have Yeon-woo die a “virtuous lady,” a title that, on the time, got here with a authorities award, honor for one’s household, and a flowery gravestone — which nonetheless stands on the Kang property in 2023.
Now, if Cheonmyeong had despatched Yeon-woo additional up to now (a la Good Marriage Revenge ) so she might cease her and Tae-ha’s murders earlier than they occurred, I wouldn’t take any challenge with the time journey. For starters, it simply makes extra sense. Whereas this leap to the long run nonetheless has me attempting to determine how precisely the previous shall be modified based mostly on Yeon-woo’s actions in 2023. She will be able to’t undo her demise until, when she returns to Joseon, she returns to a time earlier than she died. Through which case, what’s the aim of touring to 2023?
However the true factor that grinds my gears is that, by touring to the long run and displaying that the previous is repeating itself, the message appears to be that Yeon-woo and Tae-ha are being punished for causes completely out of their previous lives’ management. As a viewer, that doesn’t sit proper with me, particularly when the onus is on Yeon-woo — once more, one of many good guys who didn’t do something flawed — to do all of the heavy lifting and make things better. Shouldn’t the villains be atoning for his or her sins of their new incarnations? Like, shouldn’t they be the snails that Tae-ha runs over together with his automobile or one thing?
And if it wasn’t unhealthy sufficient that our heroes obtained the brief stick when it got here to reincarnation, Cheonmyeong seems earlier than Tae-ha and divulges that his coronary heart will fail if he retains Yeon-woo by his aspect. I’m predicting that this can finally be Yeon-woo’s self-sacrificing cause for returning to the previous, however for now Tae-ha retains this info to himself and turns into a reverse noble fool — clinging to his personal happiness even though his demise will finally crush Yeon-woo’s coronary heart.
On the plus aspect, we actually get to see Tae-ha shine now that he’s grow to be extra egocentric and is pursuing his personal happiness. The one particular person not happy with Tae-ha’s private liberation is Grandpa, who shouldn’t be happy to listen to Tae-ha needs to step again from the enterprise and have the corporate managed by an outsider — or worse, Hye-sook, who remains to be seen as a viable candidate to a lot of the board of administrators.
In an effort to additional diminish Hye-sook’s declare to the household throne, Grandpa kicks her and Tae-min out of the home. Tae-min is usually unfazed by his grandfather’s apparent favoritism, having grown up with it his complete life, however he’s endearingly involved about how Yeon-woo may get caught in his household’s crossfire. I am keen on how Yeon-woo has introduced out the perfect in him, and regardless that he doesn’t get together with Tae-ha, it says so much about his character that he put apart his lingering animosity to remind Tae-ha that he needs to be cautious and shield Yeon-woo from Hye-sook.
Though Tae-ha’s outwardly dismissive of Tae-min’s warning — doubtless miffed that his brother would supply recommendation on how you can shield his spouse — he reaches for the telephone and follows up with Mi-dam a couple of collaboration between Yeon-woo and a U.S. Congresswoman and her daughter (who simply occur to be two extra acquainted faces from Joseon). Presumably, the additional clout will additional shield Yeon-woo’s repute and forestall Hye-sook from trying one other whisper marketing campaign towards Yeon-woo.
I’m unsure the excessive profile consumer elevated Yeon-woo’s security, however it did enhance Yeon-woo’s happiness to a degree the place she felt like the one option to burn off the additional power was to run round like a toddler on a playground. And, omigosh, how cute and totally relatable was she in that second?
However, together with the cuteness was the somber actuality that Tae-ha couldn’t relate to her as she sprinted across the empty athletics discipline as a result of his coronary heart situation had prevented him from exerting himself to that extent. (Uh, we’ve seen you with out your shirt, and your chest and arm muscle groups beg to vary, sir.) Fortunately, the scene was made lighter with very cute — and innuendo laced — banter by which “kissing” is obtainable up as a way to raise his coronary heart price.
However after all, each cutesy and blissful second on this drama needs to be adopted up by the nefarious deeds of our evil doers. This time, Myung-soo took Hye-sook’s order to “do no matter it takes” to do away with Tae-ha a bit of too critically, so he plotted to homicide Tae-ha by placing one thing in his water that might set off coronary heart failure. Fortunately, Workforce Time Journey discovered that Hye-sook and Myung-soo had had somebody following them, so that they have been capable of intercept the poisoned drink and attain the proof they wanted to have Myung-soo and Hye-sook investigated.
Besides… Hye-sook is really harmless. She could also be a whole lot of issues — conniving, a liar, a shitty mom — however she’s not a assassin. Not solely was she not part of Myung-soo’s plan, however she additionally didn’t lock Tae-ha’s mom up within the annex or trigger her demise. No, that honor goes to Grandpa, whose egocentric ambition to create a household empire has been the reason for all of Tae-ha’s misfortunes.
Tae-ha was born out of wedlock, and his father agreed to marry Hye-sook, the daughter of one other influential household, so long as Grandpa promised to pay for the medical therapies wanted to save lots of Tae-ha’s mom. It was Grandpa who locked Tae-ha’s mom within the annex as her well being declined, and though Hye-sook was within the annex the day Tae-ha’s mom died, she was not the one which locked the door. In truth, she tried to open it and free him, however she ran away when she heard Grandpa approaching. And since then, Grandpa has continued to lie and manipulate Tae-ha into changing into his excellent inheritor obvious.
It’s a tricky tablet for Tae-ha to swallow. At first he doesn’t consider it, however then Ha-na comes ahead with proof. Tae-ha is left with no alternative however to confront his grandfather and denounce their relationship. As you’ll be able to think about, Grandpa doesn’t react properly to Tae-ha’s insurrection, and when Hye-sook inadvertently reminds him that Tae-ha’s loyalty is now aligned with Yeon-woo, the viewers can see the precise second he decides to do one thing dastardly.
In the meantime, Yeon-woo has discovered that her presence has accelerated Tae-ha’s coronary heart failure, and it pains her to see Tae-ha’s relationship with Grandpa strained. If she’s going to have to depart his aspect and return to Joseon, ideally she wish to assist Tae-ha restore his relationship together with his grandfather. She visits Grandpa and begs him to atone for his actions and provides Tae-ha the chance to forgive him, however Grandpa refuses. As an alternative, he doubles-down on his evilness, and has his henchmen kidnap Yeon-woo.
Grandpa’s plan to have Yeon-woo shipped abroad, nonetheless, is foiled by somebody with an excellent larger ax to grind towards him. That villain-in-hiding is none apart from Myung-soo, whose spouse and unborn youngster died when Grandpa used his energy and affect to power a physician to function on Tae-ha’s father as a substitute of Myung-soo’s spouse.
Myung-soo anonymously texts Yeon-woo’s location to Tae-ha, and whereas Tae-ha is off rescuing his girl love — who’s doing a reasonably good job of rescuing herself, I’d add — Myung-soo confronts Grandpa. He is aware of Grandpa’s newest stunt will sever the tie between Grandpa and Tae-ha, and Myung-soo is especially happy to have induced the rift as a result of now Grandpa has additionally misplaced the particular person most treasured to him.
Myung-soo doesn’t plan to cease there, although. He intends to kill Grandpa together with his naked palms, however earlier than he can choke Grandpa to demise, Tae-ha arrives — presumably to have his personal yelling match with Grandpa. As upset as Tae-ha is together with his grandfather, Tae-ha doesn’t want him useless, so he steps in to guard Grandpa.
This week’s episodes finish with Tae-ha being flung to the bottom, presumably unconscious, and as soon as once more, I’m reminded of the unfairness of our characters’ state of affairs. This OTP is up there amongst my Okay-drama favorites, and I really feel just like the writers are doing them soiled. They don’t should be casualties within the conflict between all these energy hungry and vengeful folks. Are we actually supposed to simply accept that this was their destiny, and the one cause they got the chance to alter it was as a result of Yeon-woo’s grandfather as soon as saved Cheonmyeong?
After which there’s poor Sa Wol, who inadvertently obtained pulled into our OTP’s ill-fated relationship and traveled to the long run with Yeon-woo. After I first began this drama, I believed the time leap to 2023, when ladies have extra freedoms, would have a profound impression on Yeon-woo, however Sa Wol is definitely the one who feels essentially the most reworked by her time in 2023. From studying to simply accept Yeon-woo’s supply to be equals, to eager to discover a job and acquire independence, to discovering her personal romance, Sa Wol has gone from literal slave to a liberated lady. I would like her to stay sooner or later with Sung-pyo — and my intestine is saying she’s going to — however it’s heartbreaking to think about Yeon-woo leaving her behind if she returns to Joseon. How can we’ve a cheerful ending if our besties are separated?
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