Summary
Welcome to Samdal-ri sets the stage for an impactful finale by finally getting a lot of unspoken feelings out in the open.
Angst is a fine line to walk in any drama, but Welcome to Samdal-ri is really good at doing it. Things haven’t gone well for anyone in this show, and now, as we approach the final weekend of its Season 1 run, they’re starting to look up. Episodes 13 and 14 are largely about squaring away some long-simmering details, setting things in motion for an impactful finale. In almost the exact opposite way that Like Flowers in Sand should be way better than it is, here’s a drama that’s better than it has any right to be.
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Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episode 13 Recap
Part of the reason why it all works is the wider focus beyond the two leads. Episode 13 spares plenty of time for Hae-dal and Jin-dal, with the latter’s dilemma particularly impactful because of how it relates to Mi-ja and the theme park construction subplot.
This matter encompasses a wide swathe of themes, from environmental protection to capitalism to small-town pride, but the crux of it is the inexorable erosion of a proud woman’s independence. It’s sad, but it’s also kind of hopeful in its way, and there’s a lot to like – and be frustrated by – in Mi-ja’s adamance about living her own life.
Despite all this, the underlying focus does indeed remain on Sam-dal and Yong-pil. That relationship was deeply complicated in Episodes 11 & 12 because of Sang-tae, and that’s still a rather pressing issue. Yong-pil is furious that his father had forced Sam-dal to break up with him the first time around, and when you factor in the crippling grief that Sang-tae had felt over losing his wife, you’d think he’d be a bit more understanding.
No such luck, and what’s worse is that Sam-dal decides to break up with Yong-pil again to preserve his now-tainted relationship with his father. Thankfully, Yong-pil isn’t having this, and rightly so. The realization comes packaged with Sang-do finally understanding that he has no chance with Sam-dal, so these are crucial steps in the central romance.
Mi-ja is also inextricably entwined in this since Sang-tae’s treatment of her was the catalyst of her health woes and the justification for Yong-pil remaining on the island. But Mi-ja is also resolved to not allow history to repeat itself, and she gives Sang-tae a stark dressing-down about how selfish he has been over his wife’s death. He, after all, wasn’t the only one grieving, but while everyone else carried on living their lives, he remained in stasis.
How does Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episode 13 end?
Episode 13 ends with Sam-dal and Yong-pil reconciling, both secure in the knowledge that they’re meant to be together. His support for her has been consistently unwavering, and now the roadblocks that got in their way the first time are being felled one after another.
Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episode 14 Recap
This theme continues in Episode 14, with the specter of loss finally beginning to lift for Sang-tae and Mi-ja while the love between Sam-dal and Yong-pil, strengthened by their long separation, only intensifies.
Again, Sam-dal and Yong-pil are adamant that they will love honestly and openly this time, without fear – of others, of consequences, of unspoken feelings – holding them back. Their official reunion is sweet and necessary after this long… but it also leaves Sang-do out in the cold.
Nobody, I suspect, is feeling especially bad for the third wheel. He hasn’t cut an especially sympathetic figure.
Yong-pil and Sam-dal have a camping trip prepared, but it’s somewhat undermined by the presence of Sam-dal’s Seoul assistants, who think it’s a work trip. Mi-ja and Sang-tae also continue to bicker, with the former having the upper hand now.
We’re supposed to feel for Sang-tae. He’s going blind and losing his memory, and the idea of completely losing the only thing he has left of his wife has him terrified. His opposition to the union has always, in its way, been rooted in love; in the romantic kind he lost and the familial kind he has tried to preserve. It’s only through his relationship with Yong-pil’s mother that he can begin to understand the depth of Yong-pil’s feelings for Sam-dal.
How does Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episode 14 end?
Sam-dal intuits this too and tells Sang-tae as much towards the end of the episode. She recalls what he was like before his grief broke him apart. However, she also reiterates that she will not be leaving Yong-pil this time. She will remain with him and will wait as long as necessary for Sang-tae to come around.
Finally, Sang-tae realizes the strength of their love and gives them his approval.
It’s a happy ending, but the epilogue does suggest some trouble may be on the horizon in the form of Eun-ju.
What did you think of Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episodes 13 & 14? Let us know in the comments.
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