I’ll be the first to admit that Welcome to Samdal-ri hasn’t exactly wowed me throughout its Season 1 run, but the ending is a sweet, satisfying affair nonetheless, giving the small-town slice-of-life story a lot of closure. Episodes 15 & 16 were balanced, splitting their attention between the leads and multiple subplots, and ultimately effective, tying everything together with the right amount of uplifting heart and allowing Yong-pil and Sam-dal to ride off into the sunset together (more or less) with the audience satisfied that true love won in the end.
What happens to Eun-ju?
With Eun-ju positioned as the closest thing the series has to a villain, the final episodes had to deliver her a sensible comeuppance. And that’s indeed what happens here in Episode 16, with the squad tricking the reporters and relocating Sam-dal’s exhibition before strongarming Chung-gi into revealing Eun-ju’s bribes and scheming.
His confession is recorded, and Eun-ju’s reputation is subsequently torpedoed. With her career suddenly on a stark downhill gradient, Sam-dal regains a lot of her reputation, but it feels frivolous how quickly people swing their opinions back and forth. So, even if perhaps she doesn’t feel quite as vindicated as she thought she would, the point is proved and Eun-ju is out of the picture.
Sam-dal’s exhibition
Sam-dal’s exhibition is a roaring success, but also an integral part of her character arc since it involves her finally embracing her hometown and humble background, and uses the reporter who had previously written salacious stories about her to highlight the reversal in fortune.
Full disclosure: I was pretty touched by this all told. It’s a genuinely nice sequence of events that threads the show’s themes through the ongoing plot about Sam-dal’s career, and it had a just-right tone. I also appreciated that the show refrained from layering on any additional drama with Sang-do. After Sam-dal realizes he was “Bu”, she confronts him about it and he plays it down. He knows Sam-dal is meant to be with Yong-pil and he isn’t going to get in the way. It might not be the happiest ending for him, so to speak, but he’s beginning to move on.
Hae-dal and Ha-yul pursue their dreams; Dae-young and Jin-dal choose love
Welcome to Samdal-ri has been good about dividing its attention between the leads and supporting players. True to form, Episode 16 gives appropriate resolutions to Hae-dal and Ha-yul, and Dae-young and Jin-dal.
In the case of the former, it’s about realizing that it’s safe to pursue their dreams, not try and fill a role they feel like they have to. They can forge their own paths without living in someone else’s image.
Dae-young and Jin-dal, meanwhile, despite many obstacles in their way, from the theme park to an errant cockroach, decide that maybe, just maybe, they could focus on just loving each other and putting a relationship first.
How does Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 end?
After Sam-dal pushes Yong-pil to take an opportunity in Switzerland rather than have to live with regret by playing it safe, we cut forward in time to catch up with everyone.
Eun-bi and Gyeong-tae are a couple now, and Dae-young and Jin-dal are married again. Yong-pil and Sam-dal are together but have a long-distance relationship. However, as they’re preparing to meet one another, Yong-pil arrives early to surprise her, bringing the Christmassy weather with him.
What did you think of Welcome to Samdal-ri Season 1 Episode 16 and the ending? Let us know in the comments.
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