Chun-Hui and Eun-Gi 1
Episode 16 of Our Blues starts with Chun-hui clearing through her things, burning them out in the fields. Eun-Hui spies her from afar and heads over. It’s not just clothes though, she’s also burning photos too. She even burns her skirt! But Chun-Hui’s nonchalant attitude, followed by blood dribbling out her mouth, makes Eun-Hui realize that the old woman is not doing too well. We also cut across to a new character here, a sweet little girl called Eun-Gi and her father Man-Su. Their family is actually bound for Jeju in the near future to go and see Eun-Gi’s grandmother, Chun-Hui. Although things with Dong-Seok aren’t doing too well right now, could this be just what she needs to find purpose in her life again? With her father, Man-Su, off for 30 days for work, Eun-Gi is a mess, crying and beside herself when he leaves in his truck. Unfortunately, he ends up in a horrible car accident and is clinging on for dear life. It’s been a month since he fell unconscious and things at home are a mess. Hae-Seon (Eun-gi’s mother) needs to work part-time, which sees Eun-Gi shipped off to see Chun-Hui for two weeks. Chun-Hui has pain relief patches all over her back, which Yeong-Ok and the other divers comment on when they finish their dive. It’s nice to see Yeong-Ok part of the group now, as they all laugh and joke around together without the same hostility we saw earlier in the season. With everyone now aware of Yeong-Hui, it would appear that her paintings have actually drawn (no pun intended) everyone together. As a nice little titbit, earlier in the episode Chun-Hui actually had one of the drawings up on her wall. When Chun-Hui returns home, she finds Eun-Gi there. She’s to look after her granddaughter for 14 days. Hae-Seon lies to her mother in law, claiming Man-Su is off logging. When she leaves, Chun-Hui hands over an envelope of money. As they turn in for the night, Eun-Gi and Chun-Hui talk about Jeju Island. The little girl wants to dive and be taught how to swim but Chun-Hui claims the water is too cold for that. There’s also drama during lunch too, as Eun-Gi isn’t a fan of the fish. In fact, she wants it grilled…and not burnt either. This dynamic is actually strangely cathartic, with Chun-Hui finding her purpose in looking after Eun-Gi, who’s relying on her but also missing her mum. There’s a really nice moment in the market, where I implore anyone to watch this and not have a smile plastered on their face. In-Gwon, Ho-Sik and Jeong-Jun each carry Eun-hi on their shoulders, with the latter even joking about having his baby. Chun-Hui suspects something is up with Man-Su. He hasn’t contacted her in over a month (which we know why). While Eun-gi continues to fight against the idea of her being abandoned by her mother, Chun-Hui is worried that this may be the case. She rings through again but Hae-Seon refuses to pick up. When we cut across to the mainland, we see Man-Su is in getting surgery with doctors using defibrillators on him. It’s here where Chun-Hui learns that Hae-Seon isn’t actually working after all. She quit several days ago without much of an explanation. In the dark and fearing for the worst, Chun-Hui is worried that Eun-Gi has been abandoned.
The Episode Review
Our Blues returns with another solid episode, one that switches gears and allows us to explore a slightly different dynamic, this time for a grandmother/granddaughter dynamic. These two very different souls, from different generations, actually play off each other really well. The idea of the pair needing each other through this difficult time is a nice way of reframing Chun-Hui and her woes, given she’d pretty much given up on herself and her life at the start of the episode. Hopefully this whole incident will allow both characters to grow, although I can imagine that if Man-Su passes away, there’s going to be a very sombre tone hanging over this one. Would Hae-Seon really leave her daughter on Jeju Island if that happens? It seems unlikely but at the same time, it’s definitely been hinted at. We’ll have to wait and see.
