Summary
Episode 16 is a lifeless finale with an ending that has zero bearing on the story. The characters in this series have been wasted.
This recap of the Netflix K-drama series Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) episode 16 — the ending/finale explained — contains significant spoilers.
Let’s revert to the episode 1 recap, where we were full of excitement over this dramatically engaging k-drama series. And now look where we are. The first eight chapters of this series were enthralling, and it feels like the writers betrayed the audience for letting them watch that far. And what makes it even more comical is that the finale of Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) is one of the worst chapters with an ending not worth talking about. Anyway, let’s go through the motions and recap what happened.
Episode 16 opens with Nam Ga-bin asking Park Hae-ryun to hold her for a moment, but then quickly switches conversation. She asks him what kind of woman he finds attractive, and he manoeuvres around the question due to nervousness. She tells him that as she grows older, she likes men who are kind and attentive, hinting to him. The conversation turns to Park Hae-ryun’s wife, and Nam Ga-bin asks how happy he is. Park Hae-ryun has to think about the answer, and she tells him you shouldn’t have to think about it. She asks him to hold her again, but he’s worried about crossing the line. As Park Hae-ryun gets up to leave, Nam Ga-bin falls into him, and they hug. He accepts it and holds her tight.
The next day, Nam Ga-bin tells Park Hae-ryun that she wishes to quit teaching after this semester, and the professor is shocked. She explains that her head is in the clouds, and she wants to hand in her resignation. Park Hae-ryun lays in bed, and he relives the night with Nam Ga-bin in his head, and a tear flows down his face.
Question time for Seo Ban
Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) episode 16 gave is a snippet of Seo Ban, but we have to ask — what was the point of this character exactly? Was he just there for the three leading women characters to swoon over him in random intervals of some chapters? Strange writing yet again.
Sa Pi-young, Lee Si-eun and Boo Hye-rung enjoy dinner with Seo Ban. Boo Hye-rung asks Seo Ban when his last relationship was or if he’s in one current one. Seo Ban tells them he does not date because it always ends in hurt. The women are drunk and cannot stop asking the man questions.
Dong-mi dreams
We already know Dong-mi was evil, and episode 16 reminds us, again.
At the swimming baths, Shin Gi-rim looks to have drowned in the pool. Dong-mi pretends to grieve, but deep down, she is happy. However, this is a dream, and her husband wakes her up. Yu-sin heads over and gives Dong-mi a gift. He asks for a kiss on his cheek.
Meeting at a hotel and throwing away food
We do learn something in episode 16 — Sa-hyeon hates food waste! No wonder why he left his wife (I’m being sarcastic before anyone comments!)
Song Won is at a hotel near the beach, and Sa-hyeon heads over. Meanwhile, Boo Hye-rung is wondering where her husband is, and she is getting impatient. Flashbacks show Sa-hyeon arguing with Boo Hye-rung about throwing away food — he doesn’t like how she throws away food. He tells her to call his mother and tell her to stop sending food, but Boo Hye-rung is worried that his mother will think he isn’t eating enough. Sa-hyeon doesn’t believe he is. That’s why he drove to the hotel to meet Song Won. This has Anakin Skywalker vibes when he gets emotional over sand. Here’s an unrelated video to keep us more entertained than this episode:
Sa-hyeon wants to end his marriage and tells Song Won
So with food waste tipping Sa-hyeon over the edge, episode 16 escalates.
Song Won tells Sa-hyeon to tell his mother to stop sending food in a way that she’ll understand. Later in the night, Sa-hyeon tells Song Won that he should end his marriage with Boo Hye-rung. Song Won tells him he should take her advice, but he doesn’t want to this time. Before he heads home, she tells him to come to her hotel room for some tea first. Song Won tells him that ending the marriage now will only bring sorrow for her and the parents. Sa-hyeon wishes he had met Song Won sooner, but he doesn’t think it’s too late; he knows how she feels and wants to propose to her officially.
As Sa-hyeon gets up to leave, he tells her that he wants to end his marriage for reasons that don’t include her. Song Won asks him to wait and sit down. She tells him to take responsibility for his actions. Sa-hyeon mentions that he loves her, which impacts Song Won deeply; she tries to brush off their friendship and references how she’s 10 years older than him and that she will hit menopause soon. Sa-hyeon stands firm, stating his wife has been hurting his feelings constantly. As he walks off again, Song Won walks up to him and tells him that he should know the real her before leaving; she holds his hand and brings him into her bedroom.
“Protect my dignity”
She strips off her clothes slowly for him before taking off his clothes — she’s showing her intimate side, and she asks him to protect her dignity. She wants him to learn the real her and to end his feelings afterwards. When Sa-hyeon returns home, he learns that Boo Hye-rung’s father has cancer, so he cannot raise the prospect of divorce to her. He tries to ring Song Won, but she does not answer.
Park Hae-ryun gives in to temptation
And then there’s another scene where we learned nothing new.
Nam Ga-bin visits Park Hae-ryun at work unexpectedly, and they have some tea together. Tea turns into going for a meal together. Nam Ga-bin talks about a man she broke up with earlier in the year but still has feelings. She wants Park Hae-ryun to be her rebound to get over him; she quit teaching to ask him this (a calculated risk). After the meal, they hug in the car while his family celebrate his daughter Hyang-gi’s birthday at home. The next scene shows Park Hae-ryun in Nan Ga-bin’s bed. He doesn’t regret it. Nam Ga-bin asks if she can have him once in a while.
The ending
As the episode nears an end, the series pointlessly moves to the doctor that has often helped the male characters. A woman walks in and tells him she didn’t have an abortion and then looks at the frames of his family — he’s clearly had an affair with her. Maybe it’s a hint for a second season, but we don’t want it. I could have written way more about this episode, but nothing new happened at all.
Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) episode 16 is a lifeless finale with an ending that has zero bearings on the story. The characters in this series have been wasted.
Additional points
- After A-mi cancels on Yu-sin on a restaurant date due to her mother arriving as a surprise, Yu-sin takes his with Sa Pi-young out instead. The pair go out, ear and get drunk.
