Summary
A reasonably decent installment that adequately sets up next week’s finale without too much excitement.
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Our Blues season 1, episode 18, “Ok-dong and Dong-seok 1,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
Our Blues season 1, episode 18 recap
After watching Dong-seok go about his usual busy routine, we see him excitedly text Seon-a about how a surprise visit to Seoul may make her feel. He is interrupted in his jubilation though, as Ok-dong calls to remind him about the memorial service in Mokpo. And, even though it’s ignored, the action still deflates the busy salesman.
In time, Eun-hui calls Dong-seok, wanting to understand the situation after witnessing firsthand the ignoring of the phone call. She passes on the information about Ok-dong’s terminal cancer too, and how she’s refused surgery to the point she doesn’t have long left. Yet Dong-seok holds out, masquerading his upset in apathy. That is until he sees Seon-a, who he’d planned to surprise after work, hanging around with her ex-husband, an act which causes an emotional release of angered horn beeps, in addition to a swift departure from Seoul that includes a complete neglect of any attempts at communication from Seon-a, as well as Eun-hui.
Further ignoring texts from the Jeju group wondering why he hasn’t called his mother yet, and Seon-a’s question about why he left Seoul, Dong-seok minds his own business in private until he drops food over his pants. It’s clear things aren’t going well for him, even if he is trying to hide it. Elsewhere, Chun-hui gets frustrated at Ok-dong over her behaviour in the face of potential death as the workers help make food for the old lady’s husband’s memorial service. There is a sweet moment here though, as we find out that Man-su managed to pull through.
Cornered by Ho-sik and In-gwon, Dong-seok is brought into the bar to be spoken to about his treatment of Ok-dong. He’s asked to drive her to Mokpo for the memorial service, which the salesman seems fine enough with, but he rejects the annoyance of his friends who want him to make up with his mother. Even when a breakthrough seems close after Eun-hui explains the fact that Ok-dong can no longer so much eat, Dong-seok insists that he must remain stubborn about everything, including the potential trip to Mokpo. “You’re just pissing me off,” he says when the others claim to understand the situation, a visceral statement which appears to allow the group of friends to give up trying to help patch things up.
In the truck with Jung-joon, Dong-seok confesses that’s he doesn’t feel sad or happy about his mother’s cancer, but rather that he can sense the anger creeping up on him instead. He does have time to eventually pick up one of Seon-a’s attempts at calling him, though, something that allows him to open up about the entire situation candidly. This includes the fact that Ok-dong had even said that she was no longer Dong-seok’s mother, but her aunt, before she moved in with her second husband, and had slapped him until he bled when this notion was rejected. Dong-seok continues to talk about how he was then obedient from that time onwards, and has continued to treat her like an aunt to this day.
After opening up to the point of rage about his mistreatment, Dong-seok elaborates that he would “explode” in front of Ok-dong if he faced her about these things, but Seon-a sees this as a positive, and something that he should do while she is still alive, so he can get answers. At the end of the conversation, there is a glimmer of hope, as Seon-a does explain that she doesn’t have feelings for her ex, and that when Dong-seok saw them both in Seoul, he was only there because of Yeol.
When he hangs up, Dong-seok privately vocalises his desire to ask the tough questions he’s bottled up, and confront his mother. But the next day, when he’s called upon at the market after Ok-dong attempts to gift him coffee, he only chooses to bitterly ignore the gesture and drink defiantly, still evidently bottling up the courage for such a difficult conversation. He does manage to talk nicely to Hyun though, wondering if he is excited to become a dad to the baby that’s due next month.
To the surprise of everyone, Dong-seok later agrees to take Ok-dong to the memorial service, making the whole group excited, and allowing the elderly woman to actually gain an appetite for the first time in a while. However, such a good mood is quickly tempered, as Hyun panics over the fact that Yeong-ju had to be carried to the hospital from school. She’s in pain and having contractions, but is otherwise healthy, and is taken to the delivery room in anticipation of giving birth.
The ending
At 4 am, as promised, Dong-seok appears at Ok-dong’s door, ready to take her to Mokpo. However, he soon finds himself annoyed by the numerous tasks he’s asked to perform, wondering if his mother is already preparing to die. He still does everything requested, though, so much so that the ship they’re meant to board leaves without them. And, when breakfast is then suggested, the episode ends.
What did you think of Our Blues season 1, episode 18? Comment below.
