The Family Portrait
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay returns with a slightly slower episode after its previous heartwarming one. However, more revelations have come to the surface as we learn that both Moon-Young and Kang-Tae are linked with a very dark secret. Episode 12 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay starts with Kang-Tae waking up to find Sang-Tae and Moon-Young having breakfast and arguing over the future book they are writing. He asks them if they want to go for a ride as he has a day off but they carry on bickering. Instead, he calls Jae-Su and asks him to hang out. In the pizzeria, Jae-Su sees a lot of women eyeing up Kang-Tae so he texts Moon-Young to warn her. She, of course, rushes over in a jealous fit of rage. She sits with him and eventually start talking about children. Moon-Young mentions that she will not have his kids as she doesn’t want to be jealous of her own offspring. Kang-Tae laughs and tells her that not everyone can be a mother. Meanwhile, Sang-In tells Ju-Ri that he has to go away for a few days and on a blind date to please his father. In the hospital, the director speaks with Haeng-Ja about Ok-Ran and Dae-Hwan. He reveals that Moon-Young’s mother is rumoured to have killed someone. Sang-Tae comes in his office soon after and the director speaks to him about butterflies and tries to convince him that they are not all scary. Kang-Tae takes Moon-Young to the shop where she creates a commotion in front of everyone, shouting that she actually wants a son from him. He tells her she is going too fast before the duo head home. In the kitchen, she manages to convince him to spend time in her room later in the evening. After having a shower, the evening ends with Moon-Young getting a headache from drinking too much. She falls asleep in his arms and he puts her to bed. Afterwards, he finds a letter on Moon-Young’s desk with a dead butterfly and a note saying “I will find you soon”. We then cut to a small flashback showing Ms Park putting the letter there. The next morning, Kang-Tae mentions his therapy to Sang-Tae and suggests that they stop running away. Sang-Tae is worried the butterflies will come back so his brother tells him to hide behind him from now on. On his way to the hospital, Sang-Tae takes the bus at the same time as Mr Kwan. They talk about his mural and after Sang-Tae mentions being scared of butterflies, Mr Kwan gives him some advice. He tells him that he shouldn’t become like him; trapped in the past. Suddenly, Kwan hears loud noises outside which causes him to have a very bad PTSD episode about the time he was a soldier in the war. Thankfully, Sang-Tae helps and does his best to reassure him. He asks someone to call OK hospital while he puts his shirt over the man’s head. In the hospital, Sang-Tae relays to the director and Kang-Tae what Mr Kwan told him about facing his fear and not running away anymore from the past. The Director asks him if he can tell them what happened that day. In a flashback, we see Sang-Tae and his mother walking at night. Sang-Tae left her for a minute to chase a cat. As the mother walked in a tunnel, a strange woman with a gold butterfly brooch approached and stabbed her in the neck. She then walked towards Sang-Tae and threatened him. As Sang-Tae describes what the brooch looks like, Kang-Tae remembers seeing a family picture of Moon-Young and her parents with her mother wearing a similar brooch. Kang-Tae walks away very frustrated and punches a wall. Moon-Young arrives in hospital and sees Kang-Tae bandaging his hand. Concerned, she asks him what happened but he lies and acts distant, claiming to have hurt it while working. She then suggests that they get a family portrait done the next day as it would make them a real family. Unfortunately, Kang-Tae loses his patience and tells her to leave. Back home, Moon-Young wonders just why Kang-Tae is so angry and whether it is her fault. She speaks to Jae-Su about him who tells her that he rarely opens up. He explains that it won’t work to force him but suggests they quietly comfort him as it is what he has always done for him. In the hospital, Kang-Tae thinks that his situation with Moon-Young is similar to Romeo and Juliet. He then tells the director that he thinks Moon-Young’s mother killed his own. He starts crying as he explains that he was just starting to live after running away for so many years. He doesn’t know what to do as he promised to protect his brother but also doesn’t want Moon-Young to be hurt. We then flashback to the night before when Moon-Young told Kang-Tae that she is happy they are living with her. She told him how she used to hate the house as it is where her dad lost his sanity and killed her mother. However, she is not sure if she really died or just disappeared. The next day, Moon-Young and Sang-Tae are ready for the photo shoot but Kang-Tae refuses to wake up. They both head to the studio without him and as they get ready to get their picture taken, Kang-Tae walks in his suit. Both Moon-Young and Sang-Tae are beaming as they see him walk towards them to get their portrait done, which is where the episode ends.
The Review Write-Up
All signs points to Moon-Young’s mother having killed the brothers but the reason why remains a mystery. It was quite heartbreaking watching poor Kang-Tae’s desperation after finding out the truth, which led him to compare himself and Moon-Young to Romeo and Juliet. Each episode brings a different legend or tale and manages to make it fit well with the story, which is quite the original addition. Thankfully, this latest chapter ended on a happier note when Kang-Tae turned up for the picture which made the other two very happy. All three still have a long way to go as they all will eventually have to face the ghosts of their past. Let’s hope that their newfound bond will help them face this challenge head on and come out of it on top and finally free of their dark past!
