[ASKKPOP] allkpop TV Guide: 'Oohlala Couple' (Episode 1)

Official Synopsis:
How much can a wife endure when her good-for-nothing husband is a womanizer who embarrasses her at every turn?Na Yeo Okis fed up with the infidelity of her hotelier husband,Go Soo Nam, during their 12-year marriage and demands a divorce. However, a major accident causes the unimaginable to happen – their souls are switched into each other's bodies. As the couple bumbles around trapped inside each other's identities, will Yeo Ok and Soo Nam develop a deeper understanding of each other?

Ratings:
KBS2TV's'Oohlala Couple' (starringKim Jung EunandShin Hyun Joon) brought in 10.1% viewer ratings for its premiere episode, coming out as the night's clear winner.
Meanwhile, SBS' 'Faith' (starringLee Min HoandKim Hee Sun) rose from 9.0% to 9.3% for its fifteenth episode, and MBC's 'The Horse Healer' (starringCho Seung WooandLee Yo Won) premiered with 8.7% viewer ratings.

Recap of Ep. 1:

This show does not waste any time getting down to business.



Go Soo Nam(Shin Hyun Joon) andNa Yeo Ok(Kim Jung Eun) were spies in their previous lives during the Japanese occupation. Yeo Ok was a geisha namedSayuriwho performed for military officials, while her lover (we don't know his name, but it's past-life Soo Nam) is posing as a journalist. They've promised to leave this world together and live happily as husband and wife in their next lives. However, Sayuri gets caught by the government and commits suicide to evade capture. Soo Nam is devastated and promises that they will still spend their next lives together.

Present-day life is a different story. Yeo Ok and Nam Soo share a large home with their son,Gi Chan(Uhm Do Hyun), who's in fifth grade, Nam Soo's mom (Jung Jae Soon), and Nam Soo's younger sister,Il Ran(Hyun Jyu Ni). Nam Soo is absolutely terrible to Yeo Ok, ruling that chores are "the wife's duty" and accusing her of stealing money from him. The others are no better, demanding she help them with everything and then complaining she's not doing it right. On the day we come into their lives, she's had enough- she storms out, announcing she's on strike.

She visits her friendNa Ae Sook(Ryu Shi Hyun), who is having her own problems - her husband, lawyerLee Baek Ho(Choi Sung Gook) is having an affair with an employee at his firm. Ae Sook says she doesn't want a divorce, so Yeo Ok gets straight to business. She tracks down the mistress (Bae Jung Ah, played byNam Gyu Ri) and drags her to a cafe to meet Ae Sook.

Jung Ah is unimpressed, saying that "oppa" wants a divorce but he pities his wife too much to go through with it. She babbles on about handling this calmly, when Ae Sook throws water in her face and starts dragging her around by her hair (I can't really blame her). Ae Sook and Yeo Ok pull out a literal weapon- a large kitchen knife (which the censors were kind enough to pixelate for us- can't have our youngsters seeing that!). They hand it to Jung Ah, who stares at it in confusion long enough for Yeo Ok to take a photo. Ae Sook snatches the knife out of Jung Ah's hand and stabs the table, challenging Jung Ah to a fight, and Yeo Ok threatens to spread the photo around with the title "adulteress" if Jung Ah goes near Baek Ho again - Jung Ah whimpers in fear that she won't. She scampers out and spends the rest of the afternoon sobbing in a bathroom stall and ignoring Baek Ho's calls.

Meanwhile, at the hotel where he's a second-level manager, Soo Nam complains about Yeo Ok to one of the chefs. He says he's been treating her so well (really, Soo Nam?), but she's ungrateful. Before he can get too far into his world of delusion, he gets a text that VVIP customerHan Mal Sookhas arrived. He bends over backwards to accommodate her, and she gushes over how he remembered her favorite roses and wine and wishes that her deadbeat husband was more like Soo Nam (no, Mrs. Han, you really don't). She wonders out loud if Soo Nam is this good to his wife - he sputters in response - so he's *not* completely oblivious that he's a terrible husband! Later, we find out that Soo Nam and his coworkerSong Young Kyu(Kang Jin Goo) are both up for promotion to general manager at the hotel, and much to Young Kyu's dismay, Soo Nam impresses the boss right away.

That evening, Soo Nam goes to the hotel bar to talk to Mal Sook. She's decided to divorce Mr. Han. Soo Nam cites that seven out of ten people who divorce regret it later, and she shoots back, "Do you think I should sleep under the same blanket as him?!"

"Well, I'm not exactly saying that, but... A husband and wife... They don't just share a blanket. They cover each other's wounds and cover up each other's flaws. Isn't that how they should live? That's what I think."

Mal Sook's husband arrives to try to explain how it was just a misunderstanding despite that he was photographed leaving a hotel with another woman, and Soo Nam leaves. On his way home, Soo Nam gets a call from Il Ran- Yeo Ok's strike is real, and the family's resorted to- gasp!- Chinese delivery for dinner! He calls one of his employees,Victoria Kim(Han Chae Ah), who's setting out dinner at home to tell her he can't come over tonight because he has to deal with his wife. (You're cheating, too? Are all the men on this show terrible human beings?)

Once he gets home, he immediately starts fighting with Yeo Ok, which prompts her to deliver an ultimatum - she's moving into the apartment their family owns ASAP, and if Soo Nam doesn't straighten up by the end of the year, she's leaving for good!  She walks, zombie-like, to a street food tent along the Han river.Moo San(Narsha) magically pops out of thin air next to the man running the stand (Byun Hee Bong), and he chastises her for startling him. He goes on to complain about how hard he worked to bring Soo Nam and Yeo Ok together. Moo San answers that it's not her fault things are like this.



The next day, Yeo Sook visits the apartment to inform the current tenants that they'll need to leave. No one is there, so she lets herself in. She hears someone coming and tries to leave quickly, but stops short when she sees that the someone is her husband- with another woman! She ducks into the bathroom and watches in horror as Soo Nam and Victoria make out in the living room before heading to the bedroom. Yeo Ok has a panic attack, gasping for air as she rushes out of the building.

Yeo Ok has a conversation with herself (literally- there are two Seo Oks on screen). She considers a divorce as she doesn't think she can ever forgive Soo Nam. Other-Yeo-Ok says that if Yeo Ok wants a divorce, she'd better be smart about it! Change the apartment so that it's under her name. Squirrel away extra money. Get evidence of Soo Nam's infidelity. Take that guy for all he's worth.

Yeo Ok goes back to the house, all smiles and laughter (creepy, fake laughter, but laughter all the same), saying the strike was a joke and everything's fine now. Soo Nam is furious, and says that he needs to "put [Yeo Ok] in her place". Her passiveness makes him even angrier and he threatens to throw her out if she steps out of line. This pushes her over the edge, and she accuses him of having an affair - whoops! He chokes and sputters and starts screaming even more, so she just goes back to that creepy laugh and tells him she was just kidding and that he shouldn't speak so carelessly.

At the apartment, Victoria takes a pill and then hops into bed with Soo Nam. She asks if he knows anything about the storybook character Pippi Longstocking, and tells him the author lived near her hometown in Sweden. She's always felt an affinity for the brave character, and Soo Nam asks if that's why Victoria is so brave, promising to take care of her. Is she sick?

As they kiss, we pan back to find out that this exchange is on video, and that Soo Nam is watching it on his laptop at the very same table where Yeo Ok and Ae Sook pulled the knife on Jung Ah. He looks terrified. Across from him, Yeo Ok glares, stone-faced.



contagion's Thoughts:



[ Note : This post reflects the opinions of the author, not necessarily those of allkpop]

Yikes- what a way to start off a comedy series! I'm already in love with Yeo Ok for being so smart and straightforward, and for being so fearless when it came to taking care of Ae Sook. Kim Jung Eun is great in the role, bringing a lot of heart to a no-nonsense character - stay-at-home moms can be fearsome beings, but they're also some of the nicest people I've ever met, and I think she balances Yeo Ok's characteristics well.

While I think Shin Hyun Joon is brilliant as Soo Nam, part of the brilliance is that he makes me absolutely hate him. It's so bad that I'm not at all sure how he's going to redeem himself. However, I trust the writers. They seem to really have a grasp on these multifaceted characters. For example, rather than make Soo Nam's mother just an evil mother-in-law or a just a caretaker, they made her into someone who really does love Yeo Ok, but who totally takes her for granted - it's possible to do both, and rare to see on TV, especially within just one episode.

All in all, I'm very impressed, and excited to see where this series goes!