Summary
Another steady episode, but one which harbors a dramatically cynical undertone.
This recap of Our Blues season 1, episode 2, “Han-su and Eun-hui 2”, contains spoilers.
We start with a joyride at the side of the sea, where Dong-seok and Seon-ah are taking in the quiet freedom they have. “It’s so refreshing,” the passenger says as the pairing keep circling the same spot, before they continue to play around near the clear blue sea. When the sun has firmly risen, they kiss, but Seon-ah doesn’t seem quite as receptive, staring at her friend, and moving away. Then, she calls a taxi, ready to head back to Seoul. “You don’t like me,” Dong-seok disappointingly states, as he offers to drive the person he loves back home. Awkwardly, with Seon-ah sat in the back, they begin their tense, argument-filled journey which confirms a lack of romantic reciprocation.
Our Blues season 1, episode 2 recap
Next, we see Dong-seok selling his goods to the neighbourhood, as well as the close-knit understanding he seems to have for everyone. However, in spite of the fact he regularly stocks the preferred items of his customers, some are not shopping there, and have all defected to a different truck. It causes a little rant about his unenvious waste situation, and his worries over how he can make a living prior to him throwing away his ingredients to give away for free. He then departs, vowing never to come back.
As Eun-hui struggles to get her hair done thanks to constant disturbances from her younger brother, who bullishly looks for his sister to buy her a luxury apartment, Han-su struggles to grapple with his own financial situation, going as far as to request a loan from his sister. At the bank, he also faces a man whose own daughter is coming back from the U.S. as a failed golfer, and who is privy to the woeful predicament the branch manager is in.
Rushing back from tending to a customer, Han-su gets ready to attend the reunion. However, it does appear that he hasn’t become the most popular of men, as In-gwon resents the fact that the banker refused to see the friendship group eight years ago during a house move. In the meantime though, In-gwon argues with Ho-sik, leading to bank worker Myeong-bo becoming embroiled in controversy as he finds himself splattered with toilet water too. The bald man later reflects on the intel he received about Han-su, and faces his wife leaving the reunion early angrily, claiming to have stomachache.
By the time Han-su arrives, Eun-hui is on stage singing, a fact which only means he has to join in with the fun as the pairing swiftly sing a passionate duet. Dong-seok dually arrives himself, joining in with the dancing instantly. Outside, there’s an issue though, as Eun-hui resents the fact that Han-su is snidely faced with the bill for the entire night. That, and Hong-sik ends up fighting with In-gwon again, egged on by Dong-seok. There’s also an ominous statement shared by Eun-hui in the toilet with Han-su while she comforts him, claiming that coming to Jeju will be the “death” of him.
Elsewhere, high-schoolers Jung-hyun and Young-joo meet outside, with the former kissing the latter before they head downstairs, waiting for their respective drunken parents. In this scene, the difference between family dynamics is clear, with In-gwon harshly greeting, and berating, his son, while Ho-sik operates as a meagre father to his stern daughter.
After driving the drunken group home, Jung-joon helps out at the bar Yeong-ok runs, and the two briefly discuss potential feelings for each other. That is until the bartender gets a text from her lover, and leaves the ship captain alone to shut up shop. Meanwhile, Eun-hui and Han-su briefly catch up, reminiscing over their past warmly. When the fish market owner leaves to pull her car around, the branch manager checks his phone to find an angry response from his sister, who has harshly rejected his request for financial help.
Accompanying Eun-hui to the auction house, Han-su watches as the tradespeople do business, observing every last job and intricate detail. That is until his friend calls him over, ready to head to Gi-jun’s house to drop off food and eat. While they later sit together overlooking the beach, more reminiscing ensues, this time about how their group would skip school to have fun together, and mess around innocently. “What was I like back then?”, Han-su asks, receiving an answer that reveals he was full of spirit, as they all were at that time. In that moment, the branch manager confesses to being exhausted with life, and “lame.” Walking out onto the sand, Han-su reflects further on his former identity, the happiness he used to feel, and then rushes into the water himself to float around in a desperate attempt to reignite those emotions.
While treading water, Han-su first mutters to his friend to enquire about some money lending, but later shouts that the two should go on a trip together to Mokpo, just like they did in the past. She happily accepts, clearly revelling in what she perceives to be joking around.
The next day, Han-su is told by his daughter that she wishes to stop playing golf. It leads to an instant confrontation, and it’s clear that Bo-ram is worried about money. By the time his wife takes over the call, she bitterly states that it’s time for the bank manager to give up, just like they have, as they don’t wish to stay in America only to be unenviably poor. Han-su doesn’t give his family a response, though, instead choosing to hang up, hide his family photos, and let a waiting Eun-hui into the house.
Together, Han-su and Eun-hui share a meal together, tend to wounds and discuss business, in addition to life, openly. There’s a potential lie there in the midst of the bonding, though, as the salaryman states that he and his wife are separated, and have been since the move abroad. That night, Han-Su reiterates his desire to go to Mokpo with Eun-hui, who rejects the proposal because it’s wrong to go alone while he is still technically married. It doesn’t really deter the struggling man, however, who just states he’ll simply go alone.
After a scene of the bustling fish market, which immediately follows on from Eun-hui dropping off two of the elders at their own stall, Dong-seok becomes the centre of attention, as he appears to be ignoring his mother. He’s selling clothing this time around, just outside the food market. Meanwhile, Eun-hui accepts the proposal of a trip to Mokpo, on the basis that they go as friends. It reinvigorates Han-su, who claims at work that it’s great to be back in Jeju, but cynically his co-worker calls his sister looking for more information on the manager’s financial situation.
The Ending
Rejecting a call from his family, Han-su once more hides a picture of them, and gets set to travel to Mokpo with an energised Eun-hui. Together, the two continue to rekindle their companionship, looking back on the past with a marked happiness, but also protected wishfulness. Eun-hui talks about her mother’s passing, as well as her dropping out of school, yet missteps when thanking Han-su for not returning a mess so that she was able to “preserve the radiant memories” her youth carried. Naturally, it upsets the banker, and so as they listen to a song together, with two differing expressions, the episode ends.
You can stream Our Blues season 1, episode 2, “Han-su and Eun-hui 2”, exclusively on Netflix.
