My Dear Seo Ban

Won’s death has left Seo-Ban feeling lost and alone. He visits her in the hospital after Won’s death, and they talk about their past together. Seo-Ban reveals that he knew Won before she married him, and they had a relationship before she got married. He also reveals that he was in a relationship with another woman at the time of Won’s death, but it didn’t work out.

Ga-Bon and A-Mi show up as well, and they urge Won’s in-laws to let them help raise the baby. They’re obviously worried that Hye-Ryung is going to encroach and try to raise her.

Yu-Shin heads into the kitchen to give Dong-Ma some food, but when he hugs her, she lingers a little longer than usual and a sly smile crosses her face. God this storyline is so creepy. However, A-Mi arrives just in time and the pair end up having another big fight, right in front of an exasperated Yu-Shin. The topic is Ki-Rim again, but eventually it’s too much for Dong-Ma and she screams for him to leave.

As the funeral takes place and most of our characters attend, Si-Eun and “My dear Seo-Ban” (the cute nickname she gives him) go on their picnic together to celebrate Ban’s birthday.

Seaweed soup is a popular Korean dish that is made with seaweed, salt, and hot pepper. Seo-Ban, the team’s coach, has been known to use the soup as an excuse to get close to Si-Eun, the team’s star player. The two of them had a heartwarming conversation about their children while Seo-Ban showed Si-Eun a picture of himself as a child. ..

Ban’s brother drops by his house on his birthday, but it’s all a ploy to see who he’s dating. Eventually Si-Eun and Ban part ways, with Ban giving his gift to Si-Eun instead. He also tells her that her food is basically like home to him and he can tell this came from the heart.

That night though, the girls throw a surprise birthday party for him, where they even have a cake too. While Hye-Ryung wishes that Seo-Ban will marry her, the truth is he actually wishes for Si-Eun to be by his side forever. Unfortunately Hye-Ryung is very hands-on with Seo-Ban, even trying to put on his tie she’s bought for him.

Ban immediately points out that he likes Si-Eun and that they’ve known each other for a long time. He puts Si-Eun on the spot though and decides they should officially date starting from right now. Hye-Ryung is shocked and calls out Si-Eun, calling her unbelievable for hiding his from her.

Dong-Ma is considering whether to try and exorcise Ki-Rim from her apartment or not. Ki-Rim has turned vengeful and smacks her upside the head. But no, this isn’t a tense or thrilling moment, it’s just a funny scene played for laughs. Again, there’s nothing funny about domestic violence.

Dong-Ma, a 40-year veteran of marriage, finally kneels down and begs for forgiveness after confessing she has never been unfaithful. ..

While Hye-Ryung heads over to see Pi-Young, venting about the Si-Eun and Seo-Ban situation, Ki-Rim possesses Seo-Ban at the swimming pool and approaches Dong-Ma. It seems like he’s going to kiss her but before we find out, the episode comes to a close.

The Episode Review

Ki-Rim begins to abuse and control her partner, Si-Eun, leading to a situation in which Ki-Rim tries to kiss her. If they are seen together at the swimming pool, this could create contrived drama. Seo-Ban and Si-Eun’s relationship is the best part of the show. ..

Their scenes together work so well and it’s nice to actually see their relationship develop over time. Unfortunately, this looks like it’s going to be completely squashed in the wake of this new development.

Despite the lack of development for its main characters, Love still manages to be a entertaining watch. However, it may take some time for the show to justify its continued existence.

Some of the problems with this season of “Running Man” stem from the poor editing that has been present since the show’s first season. Scenes from Won’s funeral are jarringly broken up by snippets from Seo-Ban’s date, which results in a feeling of tonal whiplash. The show jumps between light-hearted and poignant moments so quickly that they both lose their impact. ..

The ending of the episode hints that there is more to come next week, leaving everything hanging precariously in the balance.