Recap "Our Blues (2022)" Episode 14 with Kim Woo Bin, Shin Min Ah

Episode 14 of Our Blues starts with Eun-Hui still reeling over Mi-Ran leaving so abruptly. She’s angry over their last encounter, while the old women feel sympathy for her plight, given what’s happening with her daughter. Eun-Hui was unaware of a lot of this, while she also soon learns that Myeong-Bo has left and gone to his parents’ house, clearly motivated by Mi-Ran’s words to leave his abusive wife. This throws Eun-Hui’s belief that their marriage was fine into question.

Back in Seoul, Mi-Ran gets back to work but she’s not exactly pleased about dealing with a VVIP. Only, it turns out this is actually Eun-Hui. She’s shown up off the back of Mi-Ran calling her disloyal – and to return her necklace. “You’re the one who’s disloyal you brat,”Eun-Hui says, pointing out that incident we mentioned last episode about her being Mi-Ran’s doormat.

Mi-Ran backs up her words, pointing out that she is a doormat to her. According to Mi-Ran, a doormat is someone she feels comfortable with, backpedaling on her hostility and humiliation.

Mi-Ran’s disloyalty quip comes from Eun-Hui not bothering to actually open up beforehand about her true feelings. Had she knows all this, the outcome may have been different between them and it may not have come to all this.

Eventually Mi-Ran admits that Eun-Hui is a loyal friend, regardless of what she initially said, as the pair agree to air out their issues – especially if Eun-Hui promising to be there for another 2 days is anything to go by. And with their issues finally aired out, the pair hang out like old times.

We then cut across to a brand new character, whiplashing the tone once more to a sweet woman called Yeong-Hui, who happens to have Down Syndrome. Now, it turns out she has ties to Yeong-Ok and she’s the one who our diver has been messaging. Yeong-Hui wants to see Yeong-Ok but she shrugs her off, claiming she’ll show up the next month instead. Yeong-Hui is having none of that and decides to grab a taxi. Destination – Jeju Island.

When Yeong-Ok finds out, she wants the phone so she can try to dissuade the young woman from leaving. Yeong-Hui is doing much better now than she was in the past; she’s more social and disciplined. Yeong-Ok though is not so sure.

In the middle of this, Jeong-Jun leaves a video message for Yeong-Ok, serenading her with a lively little song telling her he loves her and that he’s told his parents about them.

Yeong-Ok’s secrecy and mysterious calls now make a lot more sense, including why Yeong-Hui was silent on the other end of the line too. This also reframes Yeong-Ok’s standoffish nature with Jeong-Jun. She messages back, telling him she doesn’t want this to be serious and certainly doesn’t want to meet his parents either. In fact, she decides they should just go back to being captain and diver.

Jeong-Jun wants answers, and that night, while leaving the boat, an angry Jun spins the car around and stops Yeong-Ok, wanting an explanation. She’s heading to the airport and tells him to follow if he wants answers.

We then get a look at Yeong-Ok’s home life. Her parents were kind and gentle, but because of Yeong-Hui’s condition, they had to give up their dreams to put more money into looking after her. They believe she was sent to them by God, approved because they’re a kindhearted family. “If that’s true, then God made a mistake.” Yeong-Ok says.

Her parents were unfortunately involved in an accident back when she was 12, killing them both. Without that pillar to rely on, Yeong-Hui’s behaviour felt like a burden to her sister, especially as they had to move around a lot. In fact, Yeong-Hui does not like her sister, calling her ugly and weird.

Despite that hostility, there’s still love between them, typified by Yeong-Ok trying to leave her sister on the train… and then thinking better of it. And that’s when she found a way out, to leave her sister in care and go to Jeju Island, promising to make lots of money. In reality, it was a chance for Yeong-Ok to get away and not see her sister so much.

Back in the present, Yeong-Ok gets ready to leave with her sister when Jeong-Jun appears, wanting an explanation. It’s here he meets Yeong-Hui and he’s pretty shocked. Off the back of this, Yeong-Hui tells her sister not to date Jun as he seems unwelcoming.

Yeong-Ok returns to the island with her sister, where the old ladies all see them together. Hye-Ja is the one who speaks up first, and it’s especially touching for her because she obviously has a family member who’s deaf.

Yeong-Hui is welcomed into the group and encouraged to help out. Yeong-Ok is certainly taken aback, and even more so when Jeong-Jun appears in his car.

He drops to his knees and bows before Yeong-Hui, telling her that he’s dating her sister and hopes that is okay. Alone, Yeong-Ok tells him to stop this “boring act” and that she doesn’t think they should be together.

Jeong-Jun admits he’s never seen someone with Down Syndrome before and as such, he didn’t know how to react. As we know, he’s been on his island his whole life. He promises he won’t be surprised or taken aback next time and pleads with her to give them another go. He’s sincere and promises to befriend Yeong-Hui if they continue dating.

Yeong-Ok mentions how her parents have passed away, and how all the other guys have started like him, with big promises, but become sick of Yeong-Hui and not wanted to stay. Jeong-Jun is adamant that he’s different and holds her hand.

“Fine, let’s see how long you last.” Yeong-Ok concedes, as it seems they’re on the way up again after all.

The Episode Review

Our Blues returns with another good episode, this time tackling Down Syndrome and the effect it can have on one’s family. The Yeong-Ok mystery has been dragged out for a while and I’m glad we actually got some payoff for that in this chapter. The entire drama between the characters is poignant and topical, which are two emotions that this drama has demonstrably shown across its run-time so far.

While the drama hasn’t been as deep or thematically relevant as something like My Liberation Notes, the show undoubtedly has a real ebb and flow to it, twisting and turning through different character emptions to deliver a really well written drama.

The characters in this show are what make this so enthralling and it’s good that the Mi-Ran and Eun-Hui situation is finally aired out, as that had been hanging over this one for a fair while.