[Drama 2019] Graceful Family, 우아한 가

[monica63]

For those who are fans of this great actress Im Soo Hyang, please support her by voting for her for the AAA Awards which will be held in Vietnam. She is one of the nominees. 

 

Still cuts of Mo Seok Hee from the drama Graceful Family. 

[Josh Marquez]

Never been so frustrated for a kdrama before until now. I feel like the story is going on circles, it’s annoying. I’ll just wait till the whole series ends or just read for recaps. I can’t with it

[Ruique]

This role is made for Soohyang, I love her fashion in every scene! The "Mo-Seok Hee" style outfit will sell out at departmental stores!

[0ly40]

I like so much this drama 

preview ep7

 

[tulip06]

Is this show going in circles?

 

is anyone recapping this show? I feel like I need a recap of episode 6 before I can bring myself to see 

Spoiler

our heroine lose everything.

 

[emmie]

6 hours ago, tulip06 said:

Is this show going in circles?

 

 

yes...TOP seems to win at every point 

 

[Josh Marquez]

7 hours ago, tulip06 said:

Is this show going in circles?

 

is anyone recapping this show? I feel like I need a recap of episode 6 before I can bring myself to see 

  Hide contents

our heroine lose everything.

 

Yes it’s annoying

[monica63]

I like the drama and the casts. The episode 6 is heartbreaking as grandpa passed away and everything collapse in front of Seok Hee, She is fighting against the family and the whole team of TOP. It is never easy especially the Head, Ms Han is very smart and influential. Therefore, for those of you who thinks it is frustrating, please be patient as we are in episode 6. Definitely we will see Seo Hee being bullied as she is fighting the battle alone and of course Yoon Do, the  lawyer will help her in the fight. The ending during Picasso's funeral , Seok Hee wore red and that signifies she is going to fight back. Episode 7 will be the start of the battle for Seok Hee to get back her revenge. It will be interesting to see how she goes about it. The casts here are all very experienced and the veterans are good. Im Soo Hyang is a very effective actress and if you have been following all her dramas and variety shows, you would know that she is a very versatile actress. Her role here is a 360% change from her last role as a timid university student in My ID is Gangnam Beauty which has recorded high viewership too due to her excellent acting.

 

 

 

[10192123sangre]

Well that ending of episode 6 was disappointing.

Can you even imagine going against TOP. They have the equipment, the technology, the people and the money ro use. When that woman Ms. Han turned her back on the grandfather and sided with the father, he should have dismantled it..... oh he may have been going to but was in that car accident (orchestrated by Ms Han for sure as well as the Seok Hee's mother's murder to ensure that she does not become the successor of MC Group).

That woman really has crossed the line. She is enjoying all that power. 

The grandfather obviously did not put a limitation to what she can do as well as the funds she can use.

 

It s a good thing they have not deprived Seok Hee of funds yet.

 

But it seems that people are writing that the grandfather has died. Wow, did he die of natural causes or silent murder?  That is really sad. 

 

Seok Hee needs to create her own  version of TOP. How? Where will she get the funds without TOP knowing?  Mission impossible.... unless she finds one that already exists and a person to help her aside from the lawyer.

The stepmother is terrible. [By the way she is also the actress who portrays  Sang Mi and Sang Won's mother in 'Home for Summer'.] Psycho and violent, but afraid of the father.

I think that  maybe Seok Hee's mother may have been murdered by the stepmother or by the father  himself in the heat of an argument that is why he allows Ms. Han to do what she wants.

It is still not clear the relationship between these people. Seok Hee's mother is the legal wife. However, Seok Hee is younger than the two older sons. So does that mean that the father was having an affair way before he married Seok Hee's mother?  So why marry another woman when he already had children with the current stepmother?  Was she unsuitable in the eyes of the grandfather? So does that mean that her mother had an arranged marriage? 

What was the role of her mother? Was her family wealthier than the Mo's? Therefore the reason why Seok Hee should be the successor is because the funding/money of MC Group belongs to her mother's side of the family and not the Mo's? Maybe this is the reason for her murder? to get hold of the money her family has invested into MC Group? Wow, if this is the case, then her father is really a bad person.

 

[Lmangla]

so waiting for subs for ep 6 but ep 5 wasn't bad. actually enjoyed it. @tulip06 ~ there were tons of stuff that happened in ep 5 and if it was a daily drama, we would have to wait for something like 20 episodes. hahahah...

 

so here's a recap:

we get the back history of yeon do. his mother is uneducated but was happy to be working as the maid. she got manipulated by ms han where she was told that if she confessed to the murder, it would be better for her. once in prison, ms han threatens that if she recants her confession, then something would happen to her son. so out of fear, she didn't even see yeon do for 15 years but believed ms han's assurance that TOP would take care of her son. not sure what happened but yeon do was in dire straits and ended up on the banks of han river. did he want to kill himself? or was he just exhausted? the restaurant owner is actually his adopted dad. he had a son the same age named yeon do but they never got around to getting a death certificate. so he was there at the river depressed when he rescued yeon do and so he assumed the identity of the son. appa never asked or wanted to know the details of where he came from and figured the kid would tell when he was ready.

 

so the mom finally agrees to meet yeon do but under the assumption that it is a MC group lawyer. it is emotional for both but she still insists that she is the killer. he is really frustrated and has a chat with his cop buddy. his friend reminds him that while it is sad for him and his mother, doesn't seok hee have a right to know who actually killed her mother?

 

meanwhile seok hee is already on the lookout for yeon do's mom hoping to get some answers. she meets the lady in jail and the mom said she didn't do it. yeon do tells her the truth about who he is. she initially wonders if he approached her intentionally but he tells her that it was all just an accident. now they are both working together with a common goal and there is a certain amount of trust and camaraderie.

 

while many are frustrated that TOP seems to win again (they made sure that seok hee won't be appointed CEO of MC group), the goal of yeon do and seok hee is actually different at the heart -- they both want the truth about the murder and be free from the past. seok hee thought that if she gained power and dismantled TOP who have been running her life for so many years, she might be able to get some answers. so now it will be entertaining to see how the two of them outplay TOP without any resources. am looking to seeing these two use their brains. like @monica63 said, we need to be a little patient and then we can really enjoy how these baddies get their due in later episodes.

 

@10192123sangre ~ yea the family tree is quite confusing and why seok hee is considered the heir when she has two older brothers. am not sure if the director brother is even related to the second wife because she never seems to chat with him. also found it interesting that her son may have had other goals but was forced to be in the rat race for heir. even his relationship with his wife is curious. does he wish for love between them? or is she just an accessory and will be granted divorce?

[tulip06]

Thank you, everyone, who got me mentally prepared to watch episode 6. At least Seok Hee still has money, right? 

[Lmangla]

ep 6 thoughts -- okay there are moments when you are aghast at the moves ms han makes but it is also going to be so good when she gets a taste of her own medicine.

 

there was some nice OTP moments -- it was cute when they sing together to release their stress and disappointment, he gives her a book of poems to encourage her and even calls her up himself.

ms han seems so dangerous that now that the dad has what he wants, he has decided that he needs to get her out of the way. yeon doo seemed really disgusted with the farce of the fish funeral but will he take up ms han's offer to join TOP? or will he act as a spy and still be loyal to seok hee? ms han in a way orchestrated grandpa's death and has no feelings about it other than a sense of achievement. she also took seok hee's management rights as well as removed the other people loyal to grandpa. so only one left on her side is now yeon do. it was interesting that ms han recognizes that yeon do is ambitious and has goals though she doesn't know or care what it is.

 

it was interesting to find out a new disease through this drama -- auto brewery syndrome.

 

@10192123sangre ~ think I have sort of understood the family tree a little bit after watching ep 6. so it looks like grandpa built the company from zero but was disappointed with his son who lived a kind of womanizer life? seok hee's mom was most likely some sort of arranged marriage and his choice. however, the dad's second wife was already present from the beginning or he picked her up afterwards. somehow with her two sons (wang soo, the director and wang joon the chosen heir), she was in the house while seok hee and mom were kicked out. however, grandpa never recognized this second wife or her kids as rightful or family. so his loyalty was always towards seok hee and her mom. he basically kept in touch and acted as father figure. when she is 15, he brings both of them back into the house but dad thinks seok hee is not fit to be heir because she is a girl. it also irks him that grandpa doesn't recognize him.

[Onnie Said]

Hope i have a strenght to watch this drama till the end. Cause the bad guys is soo powerfull.

[Lmangla]

32 minutes ago, Onnie Said said:

Hope i have a strenght to watch this drama till the end. Cause the bad guys is soo powerfull.

the reason I am enjoying this drama is despite the setbacks, seok hee is very resilient. there is a kind of fiery 'whatever' attitude which is cool to watch. like with the fish funeral. she couldn't believe that fish got a grand funeral compared to her grandpa. so what does she do? put on a red dress, walk in there like a boss and throw down a rose and walk away with a smirk. it was hilarious and fun to watch! and same with yeon doo, he may be frustrated but he isn't hiding his disdain for TOP and openly spars with ms han and is calling her out even though he is still her subordinate. (it is partly why she is impressed with him because he doesn't sweet talk her).

[USAFarmgirl]

 

I can understand the frustration and craziness that some viewers are feeling yet no one can deny the writing is pretty much amazing.  The characters keep us guessing and every episode makes us feel like one step forward two steps back.   What makes it worse is the realistic view of how the justice system often fails those who are innocent, deserve being protected and need it most.  How evil, money and power creep into places and people until it feels as if there is no hope and no real justice...

 

My heart broke for YD's Mom seeing her sitting there remembering only a shadow of the young woman she once was.  Realizing her story might be the cruelest of all and knowing without a doubt it's one of many.  For not even freedom can redeem all this woman has lost and not even justice, power or money can recover what's even more valuable...  Precious memories and time lost...

 

As for MH it would seem she started out trying to be a good person that is until she enjoyed her power a little to much.   Lost her faith in the system decided instead of being a defender of justice she wanted to be not just a powerful player,  the player.  Through time and manipulation she willingly sold her soul to the dark side.   For this woman who was known for rejecting bribes.  Well I guess all the other bribes just were not as attractive or as powerful...

 

I have a feeling that the reason YD looks interesting to her is because she sees a part of the person she once was within him that's now lost.  She believes that he too will sell himself in time just like she did.  After all she doesn't want to believe or be reminded that someone could or would be stronger than her.  That honor, trust and honesty could survive and that some people can't and won't be bought no matter how high the offer.

 

She might be surprised to find out YD is just that kind of man.

  Integrity still means something.  For no one knows more than he does or understands the price the innocent pay to those who are more powerful and evil.

What bothers me most is MH's evil smile and satisfied look after doing evil things. 

That really gets to me...

 

 

[anony12345]

I don't think it made best sense for the story for him to tell his mom and the FL who he really is so early on - feel like it would have fit the story/his motivations better if it had waited a few episodes.

[Lmangla]

@USAFarmgirl ~ enjoyed reading your take on ms han but I had a slightly different perception. so from the flashbacks we get in the beginning, we see her as a judge giving more years than the maximum sentence was. it felt like a bit of a power play and because it wasn't the letter of the law, her sentence was overturned by the other judges who felt it was too harsh. so it feels like from the beginning, she got off on power and ability to play puppet. the dad said something once -- that ms han hates losing even more than him. so rather than her switching to the dark side, it feels like TOP was something she created because she enjoys being kingmaker and puppet master. she gets off on the power. the original person who scouted her was grandpa but it was never his intent to create something like this shadow group. he wanted her to be the kind of mentor for seok hee because he felt a woman exec would be a great example for seok hee. so she was hired as a kind of business development exec as she was negotiating on behalf of the company in international deals. that was her original role but she took her position and changed it to something else. so that was her. she makes an interesting character because there seems to be no grand story on how she became this evil villain. instead, she is just shown as someone who is naturally power hungry and enjoys manipulating and destroying people. guess, some people are just bad apples...

 

yeon doo is a great character. yes, he is someone with integrity but he isn't boring. it is not idealism but he genuinely believes that it is the practical thing to be good. and we see him weigh his options and also be pragmatic. thats partly why he makes a great foe for ms. han and their debates are fun to watch. she thinks he is naive but he is not really. he is aware of the pitfalls of the system but he also sees the good and the potential for improvement. despite what has happened, he is not jaded or sarcastic or cynical. perhaps, it helps that his adopted dad is so cheerful and joyful despite the loss of his family and continuous loss of money. he cheerfully said that people didn't intend to cheat him but it just happened that way but he has no regrets. and even though the dad raised with the name of the son he lost, yeon doo was free to be his own person. it was not like he was a replacement and there is a genuine bond of love between the two. every time yeon doo is troubled and wondering what to do, there is dad telling him that it is okay to do the right thing even if it seems like a loss at the moment.

[Man-O-Man]

What I'm liking the most about this drama so far is that it is shaping up to be a battle between strong female characters all of whom are the real power brokers in this story. The  male characters are really just accessories to this point. The all powerful father has already been shown to have no leadership skills, deferring sheepishly to his insane second wife and to the twisted Ms Han. With a powerful female character poised to take over a traditional conglomerate, this story is rigtfully chipping away at the prevailing Confucian patriarchy so prevelant in Korean society. Interestingly, the grandfather patriarch is on board with this undoing. Just my impression, but I see Im Soo Hyang as a gutsy actress who champions justice and human rights, especially for women, so she is perfect for this role. I predict that the violinist will get her $5000, and then some, before the series concludes.

[serendipity...]

Man that fish lived a better life than me lol. I love the spunk in FL, she's just so damn cool plus that red dress looks gorgeous on her. Next episode will be fun to watch. I'm excited!

[USAFarmgirl]

@Lmangla Thank you for clearing a few things up for me.  I think the most interesting piece of the puzzle will be who is it that MH answers too?  She is powerful she has proven that but I don't think she is the king or should I say the Queen,  at least not yet...