Familiar Wife (2018)
10/10
Stellar ensemble acting and lead actors are superb in unique and thoughtful Kdrama on marriage
15 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is a definite repeater. It's a unique, thoughtful, and mature look at alternative possibilities to a marriage spiraling out of control from a teen-turned-abusive wife, to a different marriage under better economic circumstances that is too good to be true. The scenarios of marriage stress and bliss are aptly chosen. (The play station scene is painful.) The lead actress's character development of the annoying, clingy but innocent teen/abusive wife in one universe and then appearing as a smart, assertive, no b-s, single career woman in an alternate universe includes her consistency in personality traits when while dating her "husband" in a third alternate universe she mercilessly teases him just like she did as a teen. The lead actor plays the "everyday salary man," no one special other than being married to an heiress. What's ironic is that he is demonstrating the lack of attention towards his second wife as he did his first marriage. His range of facial expression and the editing to capture the nuance of emotions are inspiring. His piercing gaze whenever he now listens to his "first wife," Ji Woo-Jin, when before he dropped his gaze and made excuses and that apology to his "first wife" are priceless.

I disagree that the last four episodes are superfluous. I think it added a lot to the development of the characters where the context changes (although the systemic brutality of capitalism remains ever present but unacknowledged.) Ji Woo-Jin is active while Cha Joo-Huyk is passive in their personalities. Why should Cha Joo-Huyk be the only one to experience it when she is dissatisfied with the results. True to her personality she took charge and went back to find him and save their marriage.
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