The K-drama My Happy Ending keeps swerving every time we feel like we’re reaching a certain conclusion. The show that stars Jang Na-Ra in the leading role of a CEO who has bipolar disorder seems to be somewhat confused with what its true implications are. We all know it’s currently a “trend” (for lack of a better word) in the Korean entertainment industry to represent mental illnesses. Up until now, most of the shows we’ve seen have done a decent job of this; however, some of them do come across as straight PSAs. I suppose it all started with how well-received “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” was. As much as I appreciate the intention, sometimes I’m left wondering if it’s really there or if it’s simply for the sake of ticking off the right boxes. My Happy Ending is a melodrama that goes places most people would not expect. If you’re a frequent “makjang” drama watcher, you’re probably aware of this; however, for a newbie, it may come across as over the top, and my only concern is that this larger-than-life exterior may not help the mental health plot as much as it would like to. Still, there’s a lot left in the show, so we’ll know by the end if my fears are justified, but until then, let’s recap episode 9 of My Happy Ending.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Episode?
Episode 9 of My Happy Ending takes off right where Episode 8 ends, with Yoon-Jin trying to provoke Soon-Yeong in front of Jae-Won, who’s forgotten everything that’s happened in the recent past. Although Yoon-Jin doesn’t reveal anything about Ah-Rin and her parentage, she does leave a lasting impact on Jae-Won, who appears very confused and miserable after the dinner. On the one hand, Soon-Young asks Jae-Won to trust him, and on the other, Te-O tells Yoon-Jin to stop interfering with Jae-Won’s life. Jae-Won finds out some information from Tae-Joo and asks to meet him. He’s obviously confused about why she doesn’t know who he is, but he gives her all the information she asks for, revealing some of the current events to her. She learns about the divorce since it’s public information too. However, since she’s piecing together her memories from outside information, she doesn’t actually know the reason for the divorce and believes it is she who is the cause of it. She’s seen the video of her ruining Yoon-Jin’s painting and even dropping the glass in the cafe, so she assumes she’s been a terrible person, and Soon-Young surely deserves to leave her.
Jae-Won asks Yoon-Jin to visit her, and while they talk, she realises she doesn’t trust her best friend anymore. As if Yoon-Jin wasn’t triggered enough, when she gets a call from Jae-Won’s father, she decides to drop a truth bomb on him. She tells him about her affair with Soon-Young, and he furiously storms into the house and slaps his son-in-law (he did deserve that, though). Somehow, Soon-Young convinces him that he still wants to stay with Jae-Won and go back to how things were before. For a bit, it almost seems like things are back to normal because Soon-Young brings Ah-Rin to the office, and the family almost looks like a normal one, going to the park together and smiling at each other. Ultimately, Soon-Young tells Jae-Won that no matter what happens, he wants things to remain the way they are, and he promises to be by her side. On the other hand, it seems like Tae-Joo has realised that Yoon-Jin’s ex might’ve actually sexually assaulted Jae-Won while she was heavily drugged and drunk. At night, Jae-Won dreams about the night on the bridge when someone tried to kill her. This time, though, she sees the face of the person, and it’s her friend Yoon-Jin.
In the day, when Jae-Won is doing an interview with Yoon-Jin’s father by her side, the stalker journalist Choi tries to provoke her and make her admit on camera that she’s mentally ill, but since she’s seen the video and remembers the things he’s asking about, she’s able to save face and also make him look like the prick that he is. On the other hand, Yoon-Jin’s ex shows up at the office, and she throws a tantrum (rightfully), learning that he’s going to be joining her father’s office. Her father seems to hate her so much that it doesn’t matter what the man did to her all those years ago (Chee). After a little consideration, when Soon-Young sees the perpetrator, aka Yoon-Jin’s ex, he ends up beating him to a pulp in his own office. When he returns home, he asks to take her on a date, and she agrees. They reminisce about old times and have a good time together after a really long time.
Why Is Jae-Won Alone Again?
Somewhere in the episode, Te-O goes to Seung-Gyu’s hospital room and wonders why he isn’t waking up. Near the end of episode 9 of My Happy Ending, we see a man tamper with his medication, so he remains unconscious. This man has been sent by Yoon-Jin’s father. Jae-Won remembers everything after she sees some family portraits that she had trashed previously in a fight with Soon-Young. She pretends like everything is fine and leaves for work, though. On the other hand, Soon-Young goes to Yoon-Jin to beg her to leave Jae-Won alone. He even gets down on his knees, and she’s stunned by the gesture, considering he knows the truth about Jae-Won. She can’t stand the thought that he believes Jae-Won being drugged on that night was reason enough for her to cheat (why does this woman hate her?). At the end of the episode, a completely defeated Jae-Won spends the night alone and goes to her work apartment, where she rests alone. She wakes up with 105 missed calls, soon after which her doorbell rings. To her astonishment, it’s the police, and they’re arresting her for the murder of her husband.
