Wow. What an amazing series.

Given the inconsistent quality of the last 2 years of KBS Weekenders, it's fair to say "They don't make them like this anymore".

And although I didn't like the 'fake aunt' story arc, this show managed to keep the story-line fun and entertaining thru all 50 hour-long episodes. Which nowadays is a lost art. And they did this DESPITE it being made during the pandemic (which I had completely forgotten about until it was mentioned in the closing credits!).

Other notable achievements:
Having multiple couples. Instead of the usual KBS primary/secondary couples, this show had several with their own theme:
The Doctors (lead couple?) - NH & GJ had to learn how much they loved each other by getting divorced.
The Sadoons - DH & JS proved to us that Love Conquers All.
The First Borns - SJ & HG to never give up on the person you love.
The Age Gap - GH & HS made us think outside the box and that friends can make the best lovers if we are bold enough

And yet, there are MORE couples:
Butcher/Sister in Law - They overcame their bickering past to wind up together (although exactly HOW this happened is somewhat strained, vis-a-vis ChoYeon's appearance.)
Kimbap Lady/Producer - sometimes marriage ISN'T the answer for an older couple.
The "upstairs boys"/Unnie's Girls - window dressing, but still nice to see them paired up.

That's a LOT of couples to keep track of and yet, it worked. Which is pretty AMAZING given you have only 50 hours of airtime.

Oddly, the thing that stood out to me the most was how satisfying and correct the kimbap/producer arc played out. Marriage wasn't necessary and she was happy being with him; a believable decision given her character and past. BRAVO to the writer for this.

What would I have liked to have changed? 2 things:
1. I wanted better closure for GH/HS. He got his Olympic Medal and I would have liked them to announce their relationship to her parents. I think THAT would have made a funny epilogue - one last look of shock on her mom & dad's faces.
2. I found the character of HyunGung to be most interesting. I wish we'd seen more of her development...I'm assuming her parents had passed away, given how she spoke of them as a protective fence. Her counsel was sought after twice by NH, so it seems they were very close...but she wasn't with the other sisters? She was never included in any of the sisterly gatherings, which I felt was odd. I felt that she & GH should have had a very close relationship as well.

Otherwise, this was a thoroughly enjoyable show. I'm glad I watched it and you will be too! I think the 8.6 rating here is too low. I'd give it a solid 9.

Thanks for reading!