Oohlala Spouses Episode 15 Recap

  Yay! I finally managed to write a short recap. The downside is that it probably indicates a growing apathy for this show (which I still really want to love). Only 3 more episodes! I can do it! Aja! Aja!

  Yeo Ok doubles over in pain and snaps at Victoria for trying to help her. She manages to run out and heads to the restroom, wondering why her side is aching. She decides it has something to do with meeting Victoria everywhere she goes.

  Soo Nam kidnaps PiD and tells her that he was sent by the Chairman to escort her for the day. She thinks the Chairman must have forgiven him and lets him. During a meeting, Soo Nam calls the Chairman pretending to be a woman who is calling to anonymously tell him that PiD is with another man at Elvin Hotel. 

  Soo Nam goes into their special room with a bottle of PiD's favorite wine, and we see that it's completely decked out with roses, balloons and candles everywhere. She admits that Chairman doesn't usually remember things like anniversaries and teases Soo Nam that he used Chairman to butter her up. He really is back to his normal self. 

  Soo Nam leaves and barely manages to hide around the corner in the hall before Chairman storms into the room and starts throwing a fit, searching for his wife's imaginary lover. Soo Nam runs away but gets a call from Chairman demanding that he come up immediately. 

  Soo Nam flinches when the Chairman brandishes a wineholder at him, but kneels and reminds him that it's their 35th anniversary, and they've always celebrated them in this room. Chairman points out that he must have hit rock bottom and threatens him again. Soo Nam also reminds him that his business empire began in that very room and the entire staff of the hotel values that room. He begs them to come back.

  Jin Goo reports the kidnapping to Hyun Woo, and they run down to see what's going on. They barge in to find a bloody-nosed Soo Nam serving wine to the happy couple. Chairman yells that they don't even know how to knock and indicates that he's impressed by Soo Nam's persistence and daring. Chairman dismisses Hyun Woo, reassuring him that Soo Nam is taking good care of them. 
  Yeo Ok goes to the doctor and gets an ultrasound.

  Jin Goo takes Il Ran out and calls her "My little Il Ran." This earns him a faceful of sprayed water (which he seems to find adorable) and Il Ran tells him that gives her goosebumps. He tells her he'll take responsibility for what happened between them, but she says they should just forget about it, and he's not her type. She makes him drink and then we see a hotel and hear them both screaming.

  He drops her off at home and says he had a great time, and she tells him not to get the wrong idea. She's not easy, and they'll never drink together again, so this is goodbye. He asks if he can text her when she's calmed down a bit, but she tells him to never contact her again. As she runs inside, Soo Nam comes out with the garbage, and Jin Goo stops yelling after Il Ran when he sees Soo Nam. He ducks behind the bushes and watches as Soo Nam figures out that Il Ran stayed out all night with a man. He chases her around the yard and Jin Goo finally figures out that they're siblings, much to his chagrin.

  Il Ran finally makes it in the house and Soo Nam tattles on her to MIL. He then tells Ki Chan to stop watching tv and study, since his brain is sharpest in the mornings. MIL lectures Soo Nam about having to take care of both of her kids now that they're divorced. She begs him to bring Victoria home and make her part of their family. Soo Nam leaves without saying anything. 

  After a recommendation from her doctor, Yeo Ok heads to a bigger hospital to get a full workup. Dr. Wolhwa and Nurse Moo San lecture her on getting regular checkups and Moo San mentions something about her liver. Uh-oh.

  Soo Nam and Victoria pass in the hall. He notes her new uniform and finds out about her transfer. He asks her to interact with Yeo Ok as little as possible. He heads to his office and stops to ask Yeo Ok's boss why she isn't there. Her boss says she took some leave and asks why he's so interested, is he her husband or something? Soo Nam stammers out an answer and goes to his side of the office, a bit stunned.

  Yeo Ok sits in a cafe thinking about her visit with the doctor. She asks if it's serious and Wolhwa answers that they'll need to do a biopsy first, and that they should pray it's not cancer. Hyun Woo pulls up to the cafe, but Yeo Ok's seat is empty when he gets inside. He calls, and we see her walking through a park, but the call she ignores is from Soo Nam. Hyun Woo shows up at her apartment, but finds Soo Nam outside waiting for her to come home. They compare notes, and Soo Nam suggests they go for drinks while they wait for her. 

  Soo Nam reassures Hyun Woo that Yeo Ok will call him and that there's probably nothing wrong. He admits that he's jealous of Hyun Woo's sincerity towards Yeo Ok, and that when they were married, he never imagined that there could be another man in love with her. He realizes that he has fallen in love with her all over again, and when Hyun Woo points out that it's just an obsession, he answers that he thought so, too, but now he realizes it's more than that. 

  Soo Nam admits that he wants to have Yeo Ok by his side, and he's realized he can't live without her. Hyun Woo retorts that he should stop being so selfish and think of her happiness instead. "Do you think she could really be happy with you?" Soo Nam answers that that's why he's decided to let her go now. Since it seems like Yeo Ok wants to be with Hyun Woo and he thinks that will make her happy, he'll concede to him. Hyun Woo gets a call from Yeo Ok and hesitates to answer in front of Soo Nam, who sadly withdraws.

  Yeo Ok explains that she's at a friend's house and is going to stay with her a while. But she's really at the hospital. He starts to end the conversation, but she begs him not to hang up. He presses her to tell him what she's holding back, but she insists that she just finds it comforting to be connected to him like this. He starts asking about her friend and she basically describes herself—someone who doesn't change and always thinks of others before herself. She gets annoyed when he tells her he had drinks with Soo Nam, but then becomes thoughtful when he explains that Soo Nam cares so much about her happiness. Soo Nam walks home sadly. 

  Except he doesn't go home; he goes to a norebang. Lawyer Lee and Ae Sook show up and worry about all the beer he's had. He confesses to Lee that he let Yeo Ok go. They all sing together and Soo Nam thinks back over his experiences with Yeo Ok. Meanwhile, Yeo Ok cries alone in her hospital bed. 

  The next day Hyun Woo congratulates Soo Nam on his newest promotion, but Soo Nam begs him to be transferred to the resort in the Philippines.

  When he tells MIL and Il Ran, Il Ran begs him to take her with him. MIL thinks he's just running away since she promised to bring Victoria home. He tells them he's let Yeo Ok go and he'll be gone for 2 years. 

  Dr. Wolhwa confirms to Yeo Ok that she has cancer, but it's spread too much to be operable. She'll need a liver transplant, so they need to inform her guardian and put her name on the registry. She leaves, stunned, and as she gets in the taxi, Man Soo passes by and sees her. She jumps back out of the taxi and runs past Man Soo to talk to Wolhwa again. 

  She insists that she takes good care of herself and that she's just started a new chapter in her life. She's just starting to be happy and found a new love. She begs to be reexamined. Moo San tells her she can get a second opinion, but the results will be the same. Wolhwa informs her that they have to act now before the cancer spreads further.

  At home, Yeo Ok gets a delivery of special foods, and her mom calls to see if she got it. Pushy Mom tells her she needs to take care of herself and make sure she visits Ki Chan often. She starts to cry and tells Pushy Mom that she shouldn't worry about her so much and should instead focus on herself. They bicker and Yeo Ok hangs up. She cries to herself, telling an imaginary Pushy Mom that she has cancer and is frightened. She cries alone some more.

  In the morning she gets a call from MIL asking to meet. MIL tells her of her plans regarding Victoria and how Soo Nam announced he's moving to the Philippines. She says it's because of Yeo Ok, so she needs to end things once and for all, especially for Ki Chan's sake. 

  At work, Yeo Ok and Victoria awkwardly run into each other in the cafeteria (almost literally, in fact). Yeo Ok sits with the maids and friends and Victoria heads over, but one glare from Yeo Ok makes her search for somewhere else to sit. Finally Yeo Ok relents and tells her to just sit with them.

  Victoria happily sits down and Yeo Ok thinks to herself that she no longer has the energy or time to fight with her. The women all discuss the places where they're sore from their respective jobs and all start singing an anatomy song. It's a bonding moment for all of them, including Victoria and Yeo Ok.

  Yeo Ok gets a text from Hyun Woo and after replying, she gets another asking if she likes a the beach he sent a photo of. (Thank you Samsung, for the gratuitous product placement.) Outside, she contemplates the text, smiling to herself, and walks past Soo Nam, who is smiling to see her happy. She notices him at the last minute and then remembers Hyun Woo telling her that Soo Nam wants her to be happy and is letting her go.

  She asks about him moving to the Philippines, and he tells her that he'll be take Ki Chan with him after he's settled in. She starts to tell him that he doesn't need to do that for her, but stops and says she'll have to visit Ki Chan often. He tells her that she looks good in her uniform, and he never used to notice how pretty she is. She turns to leave and he shouts after her that she does look really good. Amazing, even. Then he whispers "I love you." She stops and clutches her side, but manages to keep going.
  She gets up to her office and collapses in her chair in pain. Only Victoria notices, but Yeo Ok pretends it's nothing, then texts Hyun Woo to say she wants to go to there.

  He drives her towards the lighthouse from the picture, and she sleeps. When she wakes, he asks if she had a nice dream. She answers that there's no nicer dream than going with him on a trip like this. He holds her hand, intertwining their fingers, and she smiles before looking out the window and finally letting the tears fall.

  Soo Nam is at the airport, ready to leave, but turns before entering his gate, hopeful to see Yeo Ok.
  Comments:
  I thought this show could handle an extension, but now I'm having serious doubts. I kind of feel that this whole cancer story and the transfer to the Philippines are just fillers to draw out the drama. It is possible, though, that the cancer line was always an intended part of the story. I could see this ending with someone having to sacrifice their liver for Yeo Ok's sake, but I'm not sure which of the 3 other leads it would be. (From a medical standpoint, though, many liver transplants are done with living donors, since the liver has amazing regenerative properties.) It seems like it would be karmic justice for it to be either Soo Nam or Victoria, since they've both wronged Yeo Ok, but I don't really know if this show will go that dark.

  Another thing that's frustrating to me is Yeo Ok's reactions to Hyun Woo. She says she is starting this new love, and she spends lots of time with him. They're clearly dating, yet I don't feel that they're progressing to where they seem to be. Things point to her being invested in this relationship, but I don't actually see or feel that. I can't exactly pinpoint where the blame lies, though. Is it the writing? Is it Kim Jung Un's acting? Is it the direction? I feel like Kim Jung Un's acting can't be to blame, because she's been so amazing in every other aspect. But I do feel all the things I want to feel in their relationship from Hyun Woo's side of things, so maybe it is her acting.  
  I'm not convinced that this confusion I feel is because Yeo Ok is still hung up on Soo Nam. I mean, yes, there are still feelings there, but most of her romantic leanings seem to be resolved. Her wavering seems to be more because it's what she's used to and because of Ki Chan, and not because she's in love with Soo Nam, although he's clearly rediscovered his passion for her. I just feel this disconnect from her, emotionally. So throwing cancer into the mix, and having her keep it all to herself, isn't really helping that.
  One of the things I did really like in this episode were how Soo Nam was able to convince Chairman and PiD, and how his ballsyness helped him win the day. I've said before that I really love his passion for his work and how awesome he is in his job. I love that he's been exploring so many other aspects of running the hotel, and that all these positions will serve to make him a better manager in the end.
  The other thing I loved was the continuing saga between Il Ran and Jin Goo. Their whole dysfunctional relationship cracks me up. And I love that Jin Goo now knows her relation to Soo Nam. It just makes the dynamics there so much more interesting. Will he continue to pursue her? Will she keep her distance, or will she keep coming back for more? I'm excited to find out.