Lee Soon-shin is the Best: Episode 29 Recap

by: Raine

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Guh Mi-ryeong. Kill me. No kill her. Yeah, that’s what this comes down to.

AGB Nielson Nationwide had this episode coming in at 23.2%.

episode 29 recap

Jung-ae doesn’t want to accept Mi-ryeong’s offer for a role in a movie until she speaks with Soon-shin. Mi-ryeong, however, doesn’t think it will do any good because Soon-shin walks on eggshells around her. Besides, Soon-shin needs to get into acting now, while she’s young enough and has the opportunity. She begs to be allowed to do something good for her as her mother.

Nice speech, but I don’t buy it. Unfortunately, I think Jung-ae does.

Mi-ryeong orders Hwang to arrange a meeting with the movie director, assuming Soon-shin will accept and “appreciate her efforts”. Hwang ain’t so sure and feels sorry for Jung-ae. Mi-ryeong doesn’t and hates Jung-ae for making Soon-shin feel unsure around her. She promises to show Soon-shin what a good mother is.

So this is about winning a “best mother” competition to you? You lost.

Soon-shin watches the interview that she did with Mi-ryeong and decides to get rid of all her acting things. Acting isn’t just what she wants anymore. It’s a sign of connection between the mother who abandoned her and a sign of stress to the family that raised her. It’s no longer just a “good” thing. Therefore, I think everyone needs to lay of telling her what she likes and doesn’t like and let her decide for herself.

Joon-ho hears that Mi-ryeong and Soon-shin are going to be in the same film and is furious that Mi-ryeong went behind his back again. He confronts her and wonders if she asked Soon-shin for permission. Mi-ryeong responds with her usually arrogance: are you her manager? I’m her mother.

*Smack* ←-me smacking her.

Sexy baker Jin-wook prepares for his study session with Hye-shin and has to force his reticent assistant to prepare a fancy array of snacks. She arrives and tries to teach him how to pronounce the fricative “F”, which Koreans don’t have in their speech. It’s so cute. But the cute is cut short by a call from her evil mother-in-law. She complains about the receipts that Hye-shin sent. Then Hye-shin FINALLY tells her mother-in-law that she’ll support Woo-joo with her own money and orders the harpie to never talk to her again. YAY!

When she returns, sweet Jin-wook decides that she needs her spirits lifted. He plays hookey and drags her ot the batting cages to vent her anger and lift her spirits. She’s a bit reticent at first, but then gets into it and has a lot of fun. They are all smiley and adorable.

They stroll back home together and get caught by a very stern-looking Woo-joo. School let out early and Hye-shin didn’t pick her up. Aw, poor kid.

Young-hoon reads the news about the interview online. Mr. Waiter gabs on about the news and thinks, like In-sung, that Soon-shin now has it made. He also wants her to come on the restaurant MT (company outing).

Soon-shin meets Chan-mi who is stoked about Soon-shin’s new-found fame. She has come from an interview, which stresses out Chan-mi. Why would Soon-shin give up on acting when she has a top star mother who can make her dreams come true? Besides, people will hate her if she keeps denying Mi-ryeong – she has instant fame at her fingertips that others covet.

Young-hoon invites Soon-shin on the MT but she says that she can’t. He worries about how she’s doing and tells her where to go in case she wants to join them.

Then Yeon-ah comes to the restaurant to have herself a pity party and wants Young-hoon to join her. He asks how she became close to Mi-ryeong, probably so he can help Soon-shin, and Yeon-ah replies that it was while filming the same movie.

Guh! No! I don’t want to hear that.

But now Yeon-ah can’t remember what she likes about Mi-ryeong. I don’t blame her.

I wonder when she’ll stop wallowing and start doing evil things to Soon-shin…

Yoo-shin can’t stop thinking about Chan-woo’s sudden proposal and finally picks up her phone to call him when she receives a call from Gil-ja instead. They meet and Gil-ja immediately asks if Yoo-shin is dating Chan-woo, which Yoo-shin denies. Gil-ja’s overwhelming relief and surety that Yoo-shin isn’t Chan-woo’s type insults Yoo-shin’s pride. When Gil-ja mentions “the lovely director’s daughter,” Yoo-shin snaps. She tells Gil-ja that Chan-woo asked her to marry him with fire in her eyes; of course she turned him down. Gil-ja is shocked by both the proposal and Yoo-shin’s denial. Yoo-shin defiantly tells Gil-ja that she, too, is a precious child to her family.

Hrm, she has some really inferiority issues, that Yoo-shin.

When Chan-woo comes home, Gil-ja immediately pounces on him and asks him if it’s true. He admits it and she flips out. He wants to know why Gil-ja doesn’t like it and she just freaks out on him without a proper explanation. Chan-woo gathers his courage and tells his mother that he’s loved Yoo-shin for a long time and wants to marry her.

Yoo-shin can’t stop thinking about the marriage proposal or her refusal to marry him.

Mi-ryeong tells Dong-hyuk about the movie with her daughter and he seems genuinely happy for her. She thanks him for listening to her when she was having a hard time. She also informs him that she is going to bring her daughter home. He says that even if they don’t get along, that is the best way to forge a relationship.

Soo-jung and Yi-jung show up with cookies for the staff and when Yi-jung runs off to chase Chan-woo, Soo-jung spots Mi-ryeong and Dong-hyuk walking and laughing together. She is immediately jealous, but quickly shifts the topic to Mi-ryeong’s daughter to make things less awkward. Mi-ryeong runs away and ignores the gossip-y housewife. I do kinda feel bad for Soo-jung, but she IS annoying.

Chan-woo is not happy to see Yi-jung slink into his office and finally tells her that if she does this again, he’ll move to a different hospital. She acts all pitiful and leaves.

I just fist pumped. Finally, a k-drama character who doesn’t stand for being stalked by an idiot!

Yi-jung runs into Dong-hyuk’s office where Soo-jung is trying to pump him for information on his relationship with Mi-ryeong. Then she bursts into tears and has a fit over Chan-woo’s threat.

That evening, we see that Jung-ae collected Soon-shin’s acting things from the recycling: DVDs, the scripts and the USB with her camera testing video. Hye-shin helps her play it on her computer and they watch the excited Soon-shin talk about acting and go through training. They also see her shots from the music video. They both think she’s beautiful and it’s obvious she’s happy acting.

Jung-ae receives a text from Mi-ryeong asking if it’s okay to schedule a meeting with the director. I don’t know why she asks, she’s going to do it anyway.

Soon-shin gets a message from Mi-ryeong about the meeting and looks really conflicted. Poor thing. Shoved about left and right.

The next morning, Jung-ae sits Soon-shin down to talk about the meeting with the director. She wants Soon-shin to study with Mi-ryeong and become an actress. She says Mi-ryeong is her mother, too, and she should try and forge a relationship with her; receive everything that Mi-ryeong has to offer. She shouldn’t mind Jung-ae or anyone else.

Soon-shin is horrified and refuses to do it. Jung-ae says it breaks her heart to see Soon-shin unhappy about not being able to act. Soon-shin wonders if Jung-ae is trying to get rid of her as her father’s daughter. (This is an idea picked up from Yoo-shin, for sure.)

Soon-shin storms out of the house, yelling that she will do what her mother wants. Granny overhears the ruckus and guesses that Jung-ae sent Soon-shin to Mi-ryeong. She is furious, but Jung-ae defends that she wants Soon-shin to be able to receive what Mi-ryeong has to offer.

The woman is a fool. Mi-ryeong may have material things to offer, but right now, she is in no place to offer what Soon-shin really needs: emotional security. Jung-ae is being a fucking moron.

Mi-ryeong meets with the director and sings Soon-shin’s praises – but Soon-shin is late. Moments later she shows up, sullen. She immediately announces that she’s not interested in acting and that Mi-ryeong made a mistake. Then she asks Mir-yeong not to do this anymore without consulting her first. Then she leaves.

YES!

Mi-ryeong chases her into the hallway and Soon-shin demands to know how she can do things without consulting her first. Mi-ryeong, ever oblivious, says she can’t miss this opportunity. Soon-shin brings up the money Mi-ryeong offered Jung-ae and reminds her that there is only one mother in her life: Jung-ae.

When Mi-ryeong says that she really wants to be in Soon-shin’s life, Soon-shin’s face falters. Mi-ryeong continues: don’t give up just because you feel sorry for “that woman”. It’s such a twisted way to put things. Why can’t Mi-ryeong understand that Soon-shin loves Jung-ae like a real mother and this is more complicated than “wanting to act?”

Soon-shin tells her to mind her own business and walks away. I have no doubt Mi-ryeong will continue to be annoying. And I’m right. She tries to convince the director to let her have more time, but he says that he can’t give it to her. He’s casting tomorrow.

Great, now we have a deadline for Soon-shin to be shoved into that nasty room in Mi-ryeong’s house and to leave her family.

Outside, Soon-shin meets a grim-faced Joon-ho. She guesses that he knew about the meeting and wonders if he set it up. With tears in her eyes and in her voice, she wonders why no one thinks about what she wants and how she feels. He tries to calm her down and say it might be a good thing for her; she’s still hanging onto acting. Mi-ryeong will treat her well now that she’s her mom.

I hate what he’s saying, but his face tells me that he hates saying it to her. He’s trying to do right by his business and by Soon-shin. He needs to pick one.

Soon-shin says she’s not like him. Why does he only think about himself and not others? He stubbornly agrees to that and she is disappointed that he’s the same as Mi-ryeong.

But he’s NOT! He’s just being an ass! Can’t you see that she’s looking to you to understand her as you have been? Why are you being a butthead, Joon-ho? She WANTS your support. You better give it to her soooooon!

Joon-ho heads back upstairs and meets a frantic Mi-ryeong who begs him to bring Soon-shin back. Her future is on the line and this opportunity expires tomorrow.

Soon-shin decides to run from her troubles by going on the restaurant’s MT. Her former co-workers are happy to see her and greet her warmly. When Soon-shin says she came because she missed Young-hoon, Mr. Waiter pretends to yak from the grossness.

I think it’s cute. And Joon-ho needs to get his act in gear if he wants her. This will be a nice little challenge.

Jung-ae can’t get a hold of Soon-shin. Surprise. Surprise. Stop the noble idiocy and just be honest with the kid. Tell her to act by going another way besides Mi-ryeong!

Joon-ho is mulling over the pretty amazing opportunity Mi-ryeong has presented Soon-shin and deciding what to do. When he calls her, Young-hoon picks up the phone and has WAY too much fun telling Joon-ho that they’re going on an overnight trip TOGETHER out to the countryside. Joon-ho gets all worked up over it. Hehehehe.

When Soon-shin comes back from getting drinks, Young-hoon asks to cheers before Mr. Waiter can tell her that she received a call. Oh you so petty. I loves it.

In-sung informs Joon-ho about the MT and Joon-ho immediately decides to go on a business trip…to the countryside. HEHEHE. Omg! Please tell me there will be cute. PLEASE OH PLEASE. I’m sick of Mi-ryeong. I NEEEEEEED CUTE!

The restaurant MT gets underway with tents, chatter and good food. Soon-shin is a bit distracted by her problems, but shrugs them off when Young-hoon asks about them. She heads off to wash some veggies when Mr. Waiter stops her. Princesses should rest and she is a princess as Mi-ryeong’s daughter. He also asks for a small role in a drama because his dream is to be an actor. Soon-shin sobers as he asks her. He promises to be her bodyguard if she comes back to work and if she asks that favor of her mom. As they speak, they draw attention from the other workers who want to take selcas with her. They swarm her and she freaks out, shoving them away. She bolts.

I understand Mr. Waiter is not being malicious, but he’s a fool.

Young-hoon goes after her and she is barely controlling tears. She apologizes for ruining the mood; he wisely says it was their fault. Although she says she’s okay, he notes she doesn’t look it. He consoles her by saying it may seem hopeless now, but it will eventually pass.

Soon-shin finally breaks down and admits that she doesn’t know who she is or what she wants; she just hates herself. She covers her face and sobs. Young-hoon gathers her up in his arms and lets her cry.

Awwww. So sweet.

And then…Joon-ho shows up looking for her. He spots them.

Comments:

The ending makes me anticipate the next episode. *gasp* Why? ‘Cause Mi-ryeong  has nothing to do with it! I’m so sick of the useless meddling. The meddling is only there to create fake tensions and problems. There are so many other things you could explore with  the birth mother/adoptive mother dichotomy.  Why the damned meddling? Let the damned kid decide for herself!

I also hate how they, the production team, are skewing Soon-shin’s reactions to force her into living with Mi-ryeong. We all know that’s going to happen. I hate how feeling guilty for hurting the mom who raised her is something BAD. Jung-ae IS her mom. She’s the one who loved her and raised her for 25 years. Excuse the language, but popping a kid out of your cooch doesn’t make you a mother. Far from it. Mi-ryeong has NO claims to Soon-shin save for that inextricable bond forged by blood. BLOOD not acting or directors or anything else. She should just drop acting from their relationship entirely.

At first I was totally with one person on his pursuit of acting for Soon-shin: Joon-ho. He wanted it because she wanted it. But the second Mi-ryeong dug her claws into him and made it into a business thing, he started being an idiot, too. I hope he doesn’t let Mi-ryeong control him for long. I want her ass fired. She is a money-maker, but really against his heart and morals.

You know Mi-ryeong is bad when her own awful manager, Hwang, who pushed her to do bad things before, is telling her she’s gone too far.

I dont’ know how I find the energy to keep ranting about her…

How cute were Hye-shin and the baker? I’m dying for war to break out between him and Woo-joo so they can make-up and be a cute father/daughter pair!

Mostly, I want to see Soon-shin’s family come together and hash out their problems in a healthy way instead of all this brooding and noble idiocy bullshit.

Even more than that I want Jo Jung-seok and IU to sing. And more than that, I want Joon-ho and Soon-shin cuteness.

Gimme. Now. I want.

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Character introductions.