Oohlala Spouses Episode 17 Recap

So, this jacket happens. And somehow, the Bellhop is able to pull it off. Awesome.

  Definitely the beginning of the end. It feels like things are pretty much wrapped up, but there's still one more episode. Also, I have to eat my words (at least some of them).

  Yeo Ok yells at the guys as they try to drag her to the hospital. It's her disease and her decision. She's grateful that they want to help her, but she needs time to make these decisions on her own, so they just need to leave. (Wow, I guess I need to take back a few of the things I posted at the end of last episode. Or at least acknowledge that the show was more aware of this being a problem than I gave them credit for.)

  Outside, Soo Nam asks just what Hyun Woo wanted to prove—the depth of his love? Soo Nam is very aware that Hyun Woo loves Yeo Ok, and that she only has him now, so he needs to make sure to convince her to get the transplant. All Soo Nam wants is for her to be happy. 

  Soo Nam gets home and MIL asks him what's going on, why hasn't he gone to the Philippines? He doesn't answer her and she wonders if she should ask Victoria. MIL scolds Il Ran for eating so much and says if she didn't know better, she'd think she was pregnant. Il Ran laughs hysterically, and then realizes it could be true.

  Jin Goo is asked by Man Soo to try some new dishes. He says they're delicious, but then starts heaving. Man Soo is worried, but Jin Goo reassures him that the food tastes great. He wonders what's going on with him. (Okay, show, although I find this hilarious, sympathy pregnancy symptoms typically happen due to proximity, and require y'know, actually knowing about the pregnancy.)

So much checkering happening in one outfit.

  Yeo Ok takes a walk with Ae Sook. They discuss her health and Yeo Ok says she just needs the transplant, but they're waiting to find a donor. She starts to ask Ae Sook a favor, but Ae Sook cuts her off and demands that she only think positive thoughts. Yeo Ok vows that she'll get the surgery and be healthy, but just in case, could Ae Sook look out for Ki Chan and her mom? Yeo Ok gets a call from Man Soo inviting her to her going-away party.

  At the party, everyone gives Yeo Ok a hard time for just taking off like that and not telling anyone she was sick (they know she's sick, just not how bad the situation is, apparently). She mentions her resignation, but her old boss says he never received one, but then jokes that he tore it up, so she needs to get better and come back to work. Each person says they never gave her permission to quit "as your boss," "as head chef," "as captain of the maids." So cute!

  A new guest backs into the room shaking a tambourine, and Soo Nam turns with his crazy laugh to join the party. Man Soo explains that since they're both leaving, he thought he'd kill 2 birds with one stone. Soo Nam reveals that he's not going, so they jokingly tell him to leave. He sits down and starts drinking with everyone, but Yeo Ok doesn't appear very happy to have him there. (Also, Soo Nam, if you're trying to give someone your liver, don't you think you'd be taking extra good care of it? I'm just sayin'.)

  Yeo Ok needs lots of encouragement to get into the party, but she finally starts to loosen up. Finally, everyone forces her to go up to sing, and then they shove Soo Nam up front also. He picks a song and gets really into it, dancing all crazy. Finally Yeo Ok gets into the spirit and show off her own crazy dance moves. Finally, the whole group gets up to sing a song together (it seems like it's a goodbye song, but I don't really know). Yeo Ok just cries through the whole thing.

  Victoria packs up her apartment and hesitantly picks up her phone. She pushes speed-dial 1 and we see that it's her mom. Her birth mother, who tries to hang up, but Victoria begs to see her one last time before she leaves. Victoria's mom meets her but tells her to forget about her. Victoria promises to try her best from now on and admits that she hasn't been very healthy, but she thinks she's all better now. She nerves herself, then calls her mom and says she missed her. 

  Her mom tells her that she's sinned so much and has so much to atone for, but Victoria insists it's okay. She used to think she hated her, in fact, she hated the whole world and fought back against the injustice she felt. But then she realized it was really loneliness and longing. Her mom apologizes again, and Victoria promises her she'll find happiness and love from here on out, so don't worry about her. 

  Hyun Woo takes Yeo Ok for a walk, and it's obvious he has something he wants to say but hasn't been able to. She presses him and they sit. She then becomes outraged to find out that he's urging her to take Soo Nam's offer of his liver. She tells him that of course she wants to live that she wants to be healthy—because of Hyun Woo. They're just now finding happiness together after so many years apart, but he wants her to live because of someone she has taken out of her heart? Every breath she takes and every time she thinks of it, she'll also think of Soo Nam. Is Hyun Woo okay with that? 

  He replies that none of that matters if she's not even alive, so the most important thing is for her to live. She answers that there's nothing he can say to change her mind, and just as he's about to try, he gets a call from the hospital saying they've found an anonymous donor, but she needs to be admitted tomorrow. He hangs up and hugs Yeo Ok after telling her the news. 

  Ki Chan gets home and we see some cute interactions between him and Soo Nam. I really love that they've developed a relationship. Ki Chan tells his dad that he's going to Yeo Ok's today and invites Soo Nam to come. Soo Nam excitedly agrees. When they get to Yeo Ok's house, Ki Chan begs her to let Soo Nam stay, and she finally gives in. They make noodles and Ki Chan keeps putting flour on Soo Nam's nose and they joke about how big it is. They end up having a bit of a flour fight and everyone ends up with flour on their noses. Yeo Ok is happy to see the new rapport between father and son.

  As they eat together, Yeo Ok shows a softening towards Soo Nam. They discuss how delicious the soup is and Yeo Ok asks Ki Chan how he got so good at making noodle soup. He answers that they looked it up on their way over, revealing the plot to let Soo Nam stay. When she sees Soo Nam off later, he tells her he heard about the donor and hopes everything goes well. That night, she holds Ki Chan as he sleeps and marvels that he has grown so much from the little bean he used to be.

  Hyun Woo drops her off at the hospital and pouts as she excitedly greets her new roommates. He asks why she refused the private room he had arranged, and she says that this way she can make new friends and gather strength from them. She sends him off to work, but before he goes, he pulls her in for a long, tight hug. He leaves after a lingering look and her next-bed neighbor says that with such a devoted husband, she'll get better in no time. The neighbor's husband says Hyun Woo reminds him of himself when he was younger. Hahaha! 

  Soo Nam broods in his office and gets a call from Pushy Mom asking about Yeo Ok. He cheerfully says that although he hasn't heard from her either, she must just be busy and he'll call as soon as he hears from her. Pushy Mom hangs up and worries that something might be wrong.

  That night, Hyun Woo sleeps at Yeo Ok's bedside holding her hand. She sits up and smiles down at him. Soo Nam peers through the door and smiles sadly to himself to see her happy.

  In the morning, she nervously gets on the gurney and holds tightly to Hyun Woo's hand as her new friends wish her luck. Soo Nam hovers down the hall, watching her head to surgery. Pushy Mom runs in, screaming her daughter's name, followed by Ae Sook and Lawyer Lee. She lectures Yeo Ok for hiding this from her and reassures her that her years of praying at the temple will help. They all comfort one another, and Yeo Ok waves at them reassuringly as they wheel her in to the operating room.

  The surgery begins and the doctors are told that the liver is en route from another hospital. We see the ambulance weaving crazily through traffic, and I have a sudden sense of dread that it's not going to go so well. (Is that seriously how ambulances drive in Korea? Also, does nobody cede to them?) The surgeons stare at one another in shock and say that if they had waited any longer her cancer would have spread. The ambulance swerves to miss a cyclist and crashes into a light pole. We're shown the liver cooler lying on the ground. The surgeon snips an artery (I'm guessing by the spurt of blood), and suddenly they're all panicking that things are going wrong and she's bleeding too much. 

  Soo Nam gets a call from his doctor friend asking where he is. He and Lawyer Lee headed out for some fresh air and the doctor tells him about the accident. If they don't get the liver, Yeo Ok will die. Soo Nam grips his steering wheel and says she can't die, so they need to get ready to take his liver as soon as he gets back. He flips his car around dangerously.

  One of the paramedics wakes up and stops a passing biker to give him a lift, abandoning his unconscious colleague. Aaand, nobody has stopped to help the ambulance, either. The doctors complain that the liver is taking so long, and since it was harvested 7 hours ago, the longer they wait the less viable it will be. (So wait, if they had the liver 7 hours ago, why didn't they bring it sooner? Why did they start the surgery without the liver there? Seriously, I'm getting these vibes. Also, I swear I've never watched OTH, but this was a favorite clip on The Soup, where I first saw it.)

  Another problem is that there's an accident blocking Soo Nam's way, so he jumps out of his car and starts running to the hospital. In the OR, alarms start beeping and the doctors say it's too late. For what? Are you kidding me?!? The doctor friend goes out to talk to the family and Pushy Mom attacks him. The paramedic makes it to the hospital and limps in holding his own liver, as well as the one in the cooler. Soo Nam runs in as well. The paramedic delivers the liver, but it's damaged irreparably from the accident. Now Yeo Ok's vitals are crashing and they realize she's bleeding again.

  The doctor friend goes to check on the blood for a transfusion and Soo Nam runs up and notices everyone grieving. He runs to the doctor and demands they take his liver, but the doctor reminds him that he has a weak heart and could die. He begs and they send him in. Yeo Ok's heart has stopped and they try to defibrillate her. As Soo Nam is wheeled in past Hyun Woo he nods once at him, a tacit understanding between them.

  Fade out to the hotel, where Hyun Woo works in his office. He seems morose, but picks up his phone and asks Ki Chan for a date. Ki Chan jokes that two guys can't go on a date, but agrees.

  Jin Goo heads out of his office, but Il Ran stomps in and takes his office chair for a spin, noting that he seems to do pretty well for himself. He asks why she's there and she asks why he hasn't bothered to call. "Because I made a promise as a man." He finally admits that he promised Soo Nam to stop seeing her, or else Soo Nam threatened to kill him. Il Ran mutters that he's not just a regular rat, but a cowardly rat who doesn't deserve to be called daddy. "Let's go, baby." She huffs out, and he takes a minute to realize what she meant. 

  He stops her in the hall and asks if she's pregnant. She tells him to mind his own business, since his promise is so important to him. He grabs her and spins her, surprising all the employees walking past. He throws the file he's holding and joyfully spins her around again and hugs her belly.

  Hyun Woo and Ki Chan play in the PC room and then head over to the hospital to visit Yeo Ok, who's gossiping with her other roommates. She introduces Ki Chan and they join Hyun Woo in the hall. He says he didn't come in because he was worried what kind of conversation he might walk in to. She tells him that the other women only compliment him all day. Hyun Woo teases Ki Chan and says he could be a professional gamer. Yeo Ok gets after him for going to the PC rooms again, but Hyun Woo steps in and defends him, admitting that he's becoming a PC room addict thanks to Ki Chan. 

  They go for a walk, and while Ki Chan teases his mom about being so slow, Hyun Woo disappears. Ki Chan checks several rooms for him, but it's Yeo Ok who finds him visiting a patient. And she's surprised to realize it's Soo Nam. Ki Chan runs in and hugs Soo Nam, and when he looks back, Yeo Ok is gone. 

  He goes out to find her, but she's not in the hall. Ki Chan asks if he's sick and why he isn't in the Philippines, and he answers that he had an accident, but is fine now. Hyun Woo leaves them together and goes to find Yeo Ok outside. She's pissed that Soo Nam donated part of his liver for her and that they hid that fact from her. Hyun Woo explains the circumstances and tells her that because of Soo Nam, she was able to live.

  That night Yeo Ok cries angrily in her bed, then gets up and heads to Soo Nam's room. She cries by his bedside for a while, but when he wakes up, she's gone. Out in the hall she sits on the floor and cries some more.

  Wolhwa and Moo San stand by a lake and discuss the cosmos. Moo San wonders how giving a piece of his liver can cancel out all the grudges Soo Nam built up in their past lives. Wolhwa says it's not a matter of grudges, just that they needed to meet under happy circumstances. Moo San complains some more that a piece of liver, that only takes 3 months to grow back, can't compensate for all his sins. If it was that simple, why did they need to switch bodies?

  Wolhwa angrily explains that it was that experience that led Soo Nam to be able to give up that piece of liver, and that you can remodel people's hearts and their marriages. Moo San insists that they'll follow their hearts, and that if there isn't feeling there, it won't work. Wolhwa yells at her.

  Il Ran pushes her twins in a stroller and meets up with some friends. She complains that now that she has twins, she has absolutely no time, and goes to rescue them from each other. 

  Soo Nam discusses upcoming events in a meeting and Hyun Woo tells him to discuss food preparations with Jin Goo. He looks over and sneers at Jin Goo, who sneers back.

  The door opens and we see an even more polished Yeo Ok enter. She introduces herself and says she's newly returned from training in America. Soo Nam and Hyun Woo both smile.
  Comments: 

  Wow, the end of this episode kind of felt like the end of the show. Except that we don't know Yeo Ok's position. It's kinda weird. Anyway, on another front, I'm basically going to leave the whole transplant scene alone now. I think I complained enough while I was recapping it.
  A completely random thing that I've often thought about in the course of this series is how awesome it is that Yeo Ok is such a bad singer. Because they use one or two songs sung by Kim Jung Eun in the soundtrack, so we know she can sing. Plus, it's the entire premise of another of her shows, I am Legend, which is not about vampires and doesn't star Will Smith. (I'm assuming, but I think I need to watch it now. Just to make sure.) Her song was especially prominent in this episode when Yeo Ok was crying in the hospital, so I guess it's as good a time as any to bring up now. 

  I'm glad that some of my complaints about Yeo Ok were addressed in this episode. I'm happy that she stood up for herself and told the men to stop meddling. I'm glad she was able to communicate her thoughts and explain to them her unwillingness to receive Soo Nam's donation. And I'm especially glad that she was able to grow professionally. While I'm not sure what her new position is, it seems as though it's pretty high—at least on a par with Soo Nam and Jin Goo. And I'm glad she gets to explore her talents there, so I'm excited to see what's next for her.
  I also love the fact that Il Ran is now a mother. Of twins. There's some karmic justice there that instead of lazing around the house all day, she now has to chase not one, but two babies and see to all their needs. And while it's still unclear if she and Jin Goo are married (although my guess is that they are), I love that Soo Nam still hates him. And it seems that his hostility is even more out in the open. Hahahaha!

  Lastly, I like the full-circle feeling that this episode brought. In their past life, Yeo Ok gave her life to prove her love to Soo Nam. In this life, Soo Nam saved Yeo Ok's life to prove his love. It's true that they had to go through the body swap in order for Soo Nam to get to that place emotionally. And he has had the most character growth in this drama. He's come to really understand love and sacrifice, and seems to be more at peace with himself. The crazy bursts of anger that he demonstrated early on are gone, and I think he's all the better for it.
  I've said before that I wanted to analyze the relationships in the past life of all the characters. While we don't see much, I love that in the past Reporter Soo Nam and Conspirator Lee were trying to kill, or at least seriously terrify, Envoy Jin Goo. The hatred Soo Nam felt for him in the past is still evident in the present. And having Soo Nam and Lawyer Lee in cahoots in both time periods is also great, although their cause was actually worthy in the past. I get that they'd help each other hide their affairs, but it's just so smarmy. 

  Okay, so in rewatching some flashback scenes, I realized that Man Soo was the Japanese official Sayuri seduced information out of. One of the bellhops is also present as a Japanese officer. I think the two reception workers are also present as an officer and a geisha. (They're not as recognizable to me, sadly.) One of the laundry ahjummas also works in the teahouse. It's just kind of fun to go back and see the early episodes of the past populated with characters we've gotten to know over the course of the series. I'm a bit sad that Bossy Maid and a few others don't show up, but I'm happy to see those that do. I love the attention to these little details.