REVIEW: ‘Marry My Husband’ Episodes 13-14

The clock is ticking for Kang Ji-Won (Park Min-Young) and General Manager Yoo Ji-Hyeok (Na In-Woo) to hit their end goal. Ji-Won wants to see Jung Soo-Min (Song Ha-Yoon) take Ji-Won’s original fated demise. Ji-Hyeok wants to ensure Ji-Won’s ultimate happiness, no matter the cost. Both have shifted their fates so far in Marry My Husband, but the arrival of Ji-Hyeok’s ex-fiance, Oh Yu-ra (Kwon Bo-A), throws them off-balance. Can they right their course in Marry My Husband Episodes 13-14? The signs look probable.

The end of Episode 12 left Ji-Hyeok’s fate in the balance. Marry My Husband Episode 13 starts us off with Ji-Hyeok unconscious. As revealed later in the episode in a voicemail he leaves for Ji-Won, Ji-Hyeok believes he has taken his fate into his own hands. By sacrificing himself for Ji-Won, he has fulfilled his purpose. However, his fate isn’t set in stone just yet. By the end of Episode 13, he awakens in the hospital.

Marry My Husband Episode 13 takes us back six days before the pivotal car accident. This decision to go back in time helps to make up for the abrupt drama in the previous episode. Fate is proven to be malleable in Marry My Husband, but some things seem fixed. Case in point, in Episode 13,  Oh Yu-ra desires to have Ji-Won murdered. Rather than get her hands dirty, she aims to use Min-Hwan and Soo-Min to fulfill the deed. It’s starting to look like Ji-Won’s death may be forever tied to Min-Hwan and Soo-Min, no matter what she does. But there are more twists to come in Episode 13.

The biggest reveal is who was at the wheel of the truck aiming to mow down Ji-Won. As it turns out, Soo-Min’s father is the one responsible and he is the one who ran off with Ji-Won’s mother, Hee-Sook (Lee Jung-Eun). Episode 13 ultimately becomes a deep dive into why Soo-Min is the way she is. Ji-Won inevitably finds out Soo-Min’s involvement in the attempted murder and calls her out. In this scene Park Min-Young and Song Ha-Yoon deliver the finest performances of the episode.

Soo-Min’s hatred and desire to conquer Ji-Won stems from Ji-Won’s mother. As a teenager, Soo-Min’s father neglected her to pursue Hee-Sook, leaving Soo-Min with her abusive mother. Rather than place the blame on the correct person, Soo-Min zeroes in on Ji-Won. She sees how much Ji-Won’s father dotes on Ji-Won, and the envy grows and twists into something ugly. For her part, Ji-Won points out that she’s always known this about Soo-Min’s dad. She always made the decision to try to protect Soo-Min from the truth. But now, Ji-Won no longer desires to protect Soo-Min. Instead, she intends to unleash all matter of hell on her former best friend.

This scene is the highlight of Marry My Husband Episode 13. Every clash between Ji-Won and Soo-Min builds up to this moment. With nowhere to go and no more lies to hide behind, Soo-Min reveals everything. The mixture of emotions on Song Ha-Yoon’s face as Soo-Min breaks down is a masterclass in acting. Park Min-Young provides a balance against Ha-Yoon’s Soo-Min but doesn’t fail to depict Ji-Won on the edge. Now, having the answers she’s been seeking, Ji-Won can move on.

Marry My Husband Episode 13 ends hopefully with Ji-Hyeok opening his eyes and declaring his love for Ji-Won. This ending only means that Episode 14 will be a doozy, and – right on target – it is. Seriously, a bunch of stuff happens that almost reproduces the whiplash feeling from Episode 12. There are a couple of big plot-related takeaways to focus on, however.

Yang Ju-Ran’s (Gong Min-Jung) fate is practically in line with Ji-Won’s previous fate. A text from Ju-Ran reveals she thinks her husband is cheating on her. She runs into Lee Suk-Joon (Ha Do-Kwon), and they exchange words. Ju-Ran points out to Suk-Joon that, while he wants her to lash out, she can’t. She does acknowledge that her approach isn’t entirely working. Things escalate, and Ju-Ran brings the police and Ji-Won with her to catch Ju-Ran’s husband in the act. Ji-Won experiences deja vu, and her actions help prevent Ju-Ran’s death.

Through the experience, Ji-Won realizes that her fate didn’t transfer to Soo-Min. Ju-Ran’s life circumstances make her a perfect fit instead. In the hopes of replicating things so Soo-Min suffers as she did, Ji-Won and Ji-Hyeuk agree she needs to seduce Min-Hwan. It’s an awful idea, but Min-Hwan falls for the trap. At least until Ji-Hyeok learns through underhanded methods that Min-Hwan already has another woman. If you guessed that it was Yu-ra, you are correct. Ji-Hyeok sends Yu-ra the same red pumps Soo-Min was wearing in Episode 1 and a familiar candy brand seen in a flashback to shove fate along.

This setup allows Ji-Won to nip things in the bud with Min-Hwan. But, per Min-Hwan’s modus operandi, he takes it poorly. His flashes of violent behavior directed toward Ji-Won and Yu-ra in Marry My Husband Episodes 13-14 remind us of how physical he can get. His willingness to agree to help Yu-ra murder Ji-Won in exchange for money also shows how little he regards Ji-Won’s life. So, it’s no wonder that Marry My Husband Episode 14 ends with a scene straight out of Scream.

Kdramas frequently play with genre, and the end of Marry My Husband Episode 14 is no exception. Aiming to take revenge against Min-Hwan, he channels his inner creepy Ghostface and calls Ji-Won on the office phone. He breathes heavily and laughs maniacally before hanging up. Ji-Won is alone and apparently has never seen a horror movie before, and scrambles to try to hide. Horror movie fans, this scene will have you yelling.

This cat-and-mouse chase between Min-Hwan and Ji-Won culminates in an explosive showdown that ends in Min-Hwan choking Ji-Won out. It all reads like a set-up to catch Min-Hwan in the act. To prove the theory right, Ji-Hyeok swoops in last minute and knocks Min-Hwan out of the way. The final moments of the episode show Ji-Won unconscious, wondering whether or not she is always meant to die at the hands of Min-Hwan. While we won’t know the answer until the final episodes, it is clear that Ji-Won will continue to suffer somewhat.

Marry My Husband Episodes 13-14 have the benefit of being tonally consistent this go-round. The writing and execution still reads like we’re running a race rather than a marathon, with so much being thrown at the viewer that it is hard to keep up. But, we have the opportunity to see Yu-ra flesh out a bit more, with some zinger lines that make her intellect known. She’s not a likable character by any means, but she is ruthless and savvy. Watching as she manipulates Min-Hwan and keeps him on his toes is fascinating.

Over the course of Marry My Husband, Ji-Won and Ji-Hyeok have both undergone a transformation. They still have their character flaws, but they aren’t simply taking what gets thrown at them. They have become as manipulative and ruthless as their adversaries but still maintain their goodness in the process. Marry My Husband Episode 14, in particular, shows how ruthless Ji-Hyeok can be if he allows himself. He is able to get a step or two ahead of Yu-ra. It gives a whole new perspective on if he wanted to, he would. Either way, it’s refreshing to see this darker side to both the leads while highlighting how they maintain their humanity.

Marry My Husband Episodes 13-14 swings for the fences. With the finish line fast approaching, the series sprints ahead rather than taking moments to let the audience breathe. Ji-Won’s fate, and subsequently Ji-Hyeok’s, hangs in the balance. If the writers aren’t careful, their haste may push things over the edge.

Marry My Husband Episodes is streaming now on Prime Video.