Is this show trying to kill us? This episode took all kinds of secret cravings and spread them out like a veritable dramaholic buffet. Let’s get our knife and fork and dissect all the deliciousness. Shall we?

The first course . . . meh

The slow-mo catch and grab scene was like a two-piece combo from the local chicken joint. It lacked flavor. (Except for the snarky ahjumma waitress with the judgy eyes who forced Jin Wook to apologize. I’d like to see more of her.) The cheesy music swell. The dragged out keep-away game with the wine bottle. It all felt too hamhanded. Too manipulative. And a little long. And yet, that basically describes the entire episode. There was pandering aplenty for romance fans who want the sappy stuff. But this scene felt like it was packed with empty calories. Perhaps it was the unoriginal setting with the pretty woman makeover that lost points. I much prefer an honest discussion about bra pads.

What kind of fairy tale is this?

Paderella. This is the kind of weird fusion dish that keeps me coming back for more! The drama hero keeps a memento of the girl he can’t forget. Been done a hundred times. The hero keeps a bra pad that the girl accidentally left in his car. I think it’s safe to say that’s a first. And then the couple talks about how weird it was for him to keep it, and she calls him a pervert. Jokingly, of course. This fairy tale will never make the Disney catalog, but who cares. It’s twisted, but sweet as can be.

The pandering that DID work

Now we get to the meat and potatoes. Are we allowed to have this many hot kisses in a Korean drama? And a 12 episode one, at that. The heroine even kissed him back! I mentioned earlier that the episode just milked our emotions for all they were worth, but in the pool scene I wasn’t complaining. The setting felt less generic. And the insertion of the whole fake death scene right in the middle. I’ll have a side of Strange, with an extra helping of Hilarious sauce. Him whispering to the lifeguards to get out and then her hanging on to the guy’s leg, begging him not to leave. Luuuuv it! Mix in some steamy kisses that could fog up the hotel windows and you’re left with some super satisfied viewers. I doubt any of us were complaining that THIS scene was too long.

Honesty? Again!

Have we ever had a drama hero be this honest with his feelings? He tells her that he thought of her often in the past three years. When he drank wine. When he visited the resort. Even when he saw a 500 won coin. Yoo Mi’s reaction to this touching confession is to clam up and claim she regrets that night. Brrrrrrr. But he still doesn’t give up. And later, he drunk confesses that he doesn’t like seeing her with another man and won’t go home because he hates sleeping and eating alone. If mistaken assumptions and misunderstandings crop up later in the show, I bet they’ll be from her side. Jin Wook will be the one banging on her door, demanding they talk it through.

Is the writer a woman?

A hot guy with a kid. Someone scrape me off the floor. This scene alone was worth the price of the meal. I appreciate the slight sense of awkwardness that the actor had as they interacted. Jin Wook isn’t used to children. He’s at the playground in dress clothes. This isn’t normal. Which is exactly why we’re drooling. (Did anyone else see him spitting out the bubbles when they got in his mouth?) The progressive shots of all the gobsmacked mothers cracked me up. It was like the drama was slyly winking at us, as if to say, “We know this is what you look like at home.” Well played, Show. Well played.

And how about that preview? Remember this episode was originally supposed to air last week, but was preempted for the Korean election coverage. They meant to leave us twisting in the wind for seven whole days until the next installment, but now we get it tomorrow. Since the show is pre-filmed, that means every cliffhanger they give us will be resolved the next day. Mwahahahaha. Finally, a victory for the fans.