Summary
A warm, almost summery episode that wraps up the series with plenty of heart.
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 12 contains spoilers.
Recap for Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 11.
Syringed with heart, Once Upon a Small Town‘s final episode is one entirely comforting. There may have been a few bits of drama thrown into the mix, but there was never any question where things were heading, and all conflicts were swiftly resolved. Rounded out by some touching lessons on what a relationship is, this last instalment ties together the series together nicely, although it would’ve been nice to see just a tiny bit more on Sang-hyeon now that he’s clearly some sort of peach influencer.
Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 12 recap
Picking up where we left off, Ji-yul (played by Choo Young-woo) manages to sneak off alongside Ja-young (played by Park Soo-young) to avoid getting caught, thanks to Ji-a’s preoccupation with a mysteriously parked car. As it turns out, this vehicle belongs to a returning Yun-hyeong, who has ventured back to Huidong to pursue his romantic endeavours with Yeong-suk. With this new relationship now in the spotlight, everybody seems flustered, before the police officer manages to intervene and defuse the situation. Later on, Yun-hyeong’s surprising relationship is fully contextualised, and it’s firmly established that both Seoul vets wish to be beside their significant others for an extended period of time.
The next day, Ji-yul and Ja-young’s date plans are scuppered due to sudden work commitments, with the former needing to help with various animal needs, while the latter looks for a missing person. Even at night it becomes impossible for the two to have their cinema date, given that the police officer ends up having to intervene in a restaurant scuffle. Nevertheless, Ji-yul does get a surprise from his girlfriend before long, when she drunkenly broadcasts their relationship status to the entire village, particularly amusing the Women’s Association, who claim that everybody already knew anyway. Still, there is some contentment, as the happy couple can now go out without having to watch their backs.
When at Ja-young’s house, the pair dye each other’s ring fingers with balsam flowers, affirming their commitment. “We’ll by dyeing our fingernails right here next summer, we’ll be taking Nurungji for walks for a long time, and we’ll be listening to the village elders nagging. Together and always,” Ji-yul says, sending his girlfriend into a noticeably excited state.
Next comes a time skip, with proceedings flashing forward to when Ji-yul has spent two weeks back in Seoul. Here, Ja-young is anxious over not communicating as often as she would like with her partner, leading to Yeong-suk stating that leaving out details in conversation can build to “all-out war,” even if innocent intentions are there. As such, the police officer decides to call Ji-yul at work, only to end up deflated by the fact he hid a noticeable arm injury from her. “Whether it’s a fracture or a bruise, if you hurt yourself, you should have texted me or called me,” the police officer states, clearly upset that she has been denied an opportunity to care for her boyfriend.
After Ji-yul has it explained to him that being considerate can sometimes lead to talking less and less, in addition to part of a relationship meaning that the other party is bothered, the vet seems deflated. Elsewhere, Ja-young has a heart-to-heart with Sang-hyeon, who tells her to just go and see her partner, if her previous actions were down to missing him. Though this doesn’t quite go to plan, as the police officer ends up in Seoul at the same time Ji-yul has driven to Huidong. Thus, the vet heads right back round, while Yun-hyeong comfortingly tells Ja-young that he can tell her boyfriend misses her, and wants to see her more often. Following this, the reunited couple clear the air, acknowledging each other’s worries, loneliness and considerations.
Before long, time moves forward again. Now, Sang-hyeon runs the ‘Peach-Picking Experience’, something that has made him famous on social media, and he appears to be far closer with Ji-yul than they once were. Though in this scene, he is far more interested in getting Ja-young to visit the veterinarian hospital, using Nurungji’s puppy’s vaccinations as an excuse.
The ending
When there, Ja-young encounters a waiting Ji-yul, who is on hand to congratulate his partner on her work promotion to Sergeant. Of course, there is other news too, that the vet is now the Director of Huidong’s veterinarian hospital. As such, Ji-yul is voluntarily back in Huidong, happy to live in the village amongst the “nosy” people, as well as alongside the person he loves. Then, rings are exchanged between the couple, marking the happy continuation of their relationship as the episode, and series, comes to an end.
What did you think of Once Upon a Small Town season 1, episode 12, and the ending? Comment below.
