Summary
It might be predictable, but Romance in the House delivers a rather lovely ending with every loose end tied up and every character in a better predicament than they started in.
The ending of Romance in the House was always going to be predictable. Episode 12, the finale, is precisely that, but you know what? I don’t mind too much. This hasn’t been a smooth ride to the finish; the tonal whiplash of the early episodes gave way to the draggy plotting of the middle ones, and the big mystery surrounding Moo-jin’s fortune wasn’t remotely worth the amount of build-up it got.
But we’re here now, right? Quibbles aside, I liked this finale. It’s a proper ending, at least, and it has some nice character moments we’ve been waiting for. Sometimes that’s all you need.
The Morning After the Night Before
After the chaos that ended the penultimate episode, everyone takes some time to regroup. And all of these developments are positive for the core couples, which is nice.
For one thing, Ae-yeon is thrilled to see Mi-rae flourishing on her own rather than labouring over the family. She’s holding her own at work, laying into anyone badmouthing her, and full of enthusiasm about her own independence. She’s supportive of Ae-yeon’s modelling career and has made peace with Moo-jin moving in.
This is one of the season’s key arcs, as we know, so it’s satisfying to see the progress has made and how much she and Ae-yeon are flourishing without their relationship having suffered for it. The same is true on the other side of the aisle with Moo-jin, Tae-pyeong, and Chi-yeol. Again, the positivity is predictable, but isn’t it what we need now and again?
Hyeon-jae’s Moment
For one of the first times in these recaps, let’s talk about Hyeon-jae a little.
I’ve always overlooked little bro because, well, the show has done the same throughout. But his personal ill-advised entrepreneur subplot has quite a nice payoff so it’s worth mentioning.
I’m glad that Hyeon-jae himself pointed out being overlooked. His being bullied was never acknowledged. He had no say in major family decisions being made around him. The return of his father seemed like an opportunity to bond with someone, to be validated in his own ambitions, but it didn’t work out like that.
Hyeon-jae’s forthrightness in the finale finally means the rest of the family acknowledge how he has felt. A family gathering where everyone gets to speak and be heard is a nice solution.
Romance in the House’s Predictably Happy Ending
The final matter to address is the tension between Moo-jin and Mi-rae, which in fairness has been dissipating for a while now anyway. But Episode 12 of Romance in the House finally lets these two develop a real understanding and agree to let bygones be bygones. And it’s handled very well, in my opinion.
I have enjoyed this relationship because the grievances on both sides seemed understandable and relatable, and the regrets in the present-day make sense in context. Moo-jin always wanted to make a fortune, but he regrets how long it took him and the way he went about it. Having realized what’s important now, Mi-rae can see that his intentions were always good; it was just his methods and focus that were wrong.
With every interpersonal matter handled, all is well by season’s end. Mi-rae embraces her dad as her dad, not some imposter. Moo-jin follows Tae-pyeong into the teaching field. Hyeon-jae tries to carve out his own entrepreneurial path.
And, every month, the whole family gets together to talk about it all. Everyone speaks, and everyone is heard. It’s a lovely way to round out a mixed-bag show.
