[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Woman who Married Three Times" Episode 39

It bears repeating- for a drama that received an eight episode extension, "The Woman who Married Three Times" is hurrying to the ending awfully fast. There have been some massive character shifts over the course of the several month timeskip. It's nice that Chae Rin can soak with her sister-in-law in a preposterously opulent bathtub but it would be nice if we'd actually seen them getting closer and bonding instead of just skipping over all that stuff. This drama's put so much effort into crushing hope that it's rather rude to just skip over a bunch of happy bonding to get to sad stuff again.

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Not that this episode's awful in the comedy department. There's more crying as Joo-ha's storyline finally hits a conclusion. And as much as I enjoy laughing at obscene tears, I can't help but think the drama should have mentioned at some point that Joo-ha will be becoming a stepmother. It seems that right to the end "The Woman who Married Three Times" is going to have issues balancing the moods of the greater storyline.

Eun-soo's general sense of despondency is present as usual though. The scene where she goes to the hospital in preparation for labor is oddly discouraging in tone. I've seen scenes like that with excited panic, or detached humor, but gloomy inevitability is a new one. Granted childbirth can be pretty horrifically painful. But Eun-soo's a trooper right to the end refusing to scream even when it's the one context where no one could possibly hold that against her.

Da-mi appears to get a conclusion here. Over the timeskips her story has mostly been forgotten her. Apparently Joon-goo really has made good on his threats to completely be done with her. I almost feel sad about Eun-soo believing that Da-mi and Joon-goo had an actual relationship. Then I remember that Da-mi is pretty badly damaged, and Joon-goo sucks at communication. And, well, that's how they got into this mess isn't it?

For another refresher on how to conduct romantic relationships like an emotionally healthy adult, take a look at what Gwang-mo and Hyeon-soo do here. It seems like they're at a crisis point, and then it's resolved. In a single scene. I especially enjoy the way Gwang-mo very deliberately does his very best Hyeon-soo imitation. He's not mocking here- the guy's just figured out how to emotionally connect with her in a way she understands. By treating her the way she treats him. Which isn't great behavior really but if it works, why argue?

Review by William Schwartz

"The Woman who Married Three Times" is directed by Son Jeong-hyeon and written by Kim Su-hyun and features Lee Ji-ah, Uhm Ji-won, Song Chang-eui and Ha Seok-jin.