REVIEW: ‘My Happy Marriage’ Season 2 Episode 2 – “A New Ordeal”

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2, “A New Ordeal,” sees Miyo  (Reina Ueda) weather the storm of Fuyu’s (Kikuko Inoue, Shy) disapproval. While she tries to understand the nature of the Kudo household, Kiyoka (Kaito Ishikawa) makes a startling discovery about the town’s problems, leading him to realize that bringing Miyo here may not have been the best choice after all.

After the outwardly hostile greeting Miyo got from Fuyu in the previous episode, there was a solid expectation of how this entry would fare for Miyo. However, Fuyu goes beyond what many will see coming when she calls Miyo into her chamber to demand she don a maid’s outfit and clean the house with the servants. As the betrothed of Kiyoka, such a request is completely beneath her and a calculated insult. However, Miyo does as requested without complaint.

After a bit of time, Fuyu expects Miyo to be in tears, packing her things. However, she learns from one of the servants that no such event is unfolding. Outraged at her plan not proceeding as she thought it would, she rushes out to find Miyo. When she discovers the woman diligently cleaning, she once more berates her, slinging insults against Miyo’s character and worthiness.

Miyo reaches new levels in My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2

To her shock, Miyo agrees with her outlook on her place with Kiyoka but points out that Kiyoka thinks differently. That he finds her worthy is all that matters to her, and she will never leave him so long as his feelings remain unchanged. Fully enraged, Fuyu goes to strike Miyo but is stopped by Tadakiyo (Ryôtarô Okiayu, Ragna Crimson). The patriarch leads Fuyu back to her room, defusing the situation.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 delivers an emotionally powerful opening. Even though Miyo accepts much of Fuyu’s hostility with more grace than the older woman deserves, seeing her speak up in defense of her relationship with Kiyoka is a powerful moment for the mousey lead. She will bend for her mother-in-law, but she will not break.

It’s also good to see Tadakiyo take an active role in curtailing Fuyu’s hostility at this moment. His unwillingness to let Fuyu go too far helps establish the character’s moral compass. He may indulge his wife’s strict expectations and overwrought opinions to a point, but there is a definite line he will not permit her to cross. That line isn’t precisely where it should be, but it helps to have a better understanding of his tolerance towards her.

In the aftermath of the moment, we also learn of an unintended consequence of Fuyu’s harsh treatment. Once the lord and lady of the house are out of earshot, Miyo discovers that she has earned the admiration of the entire household staff. They were surprised to see a lady able to work both hard and competently. That she neither shirked her responsibilities nor tried to hoist them onto those around her of the lower class bought Miyo their respect. As one would expect, this touches Miyo deeply.

From here, My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 joins Kiyoka as he investigates the strange occurrences plaguing the town. Directed to an abandoned building, Kiyoka comes across a research laboratory for what appears to be some form of cult. Utilizing iconography described as blasphemous and performing some form of animal experimentation, the whole scene reeks of death.

The abandoned building is presented skilfully. The dark, rotting nature of the structure is omnipresent, making the scene resonate with a low-key horror. When Kiyoka stumbles across one of the cult’s experiments, a rat, the creature is shown with vibrantly glowing red eyes. Its rabid thrashing at Kiyoka from its cage packs a startling shock in the stillness of the scene that is executed flawlessly.

Kiyoka’s investigation is cut short when one of the cult’s members appears and confronts him. After a brief clash, the cultist blows himself up in a fiery attack. This leaves Kiyoka taken aback at the man’s willingness to throw away his life, but it does give him an important detail. He now knows the name of the group behind the strange events: The Gifted Communion.

Kindness is found in less-than-ideal circumstances

After this, My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 jumps to Kiyoka’s return home. When he arrives he finds Miyo awaiting him outside the front door. Once inside the two head to his chambers, where Kiyoka insists Miyo sit with him for a bit. Wrapped under a blanket together, Kiyoka inquires about how Fuyu has treated her. While Miyo avoids mentioning being forced to work as a servant, she does talk about some surprising observations she’s made about the household.

That Miyo states that there is an undercurrent of kindness in the household is a surprise. Given her treatment thus far, one would expect her to complain of cold cruelty, not comfort or kindness. However, she goes on to observe that she sees no frowning faces amongst the staff or family here. That positivity tells her that they are treated well. Unlike her old home, where everything was dark and on edge. She also sees Fuyu as the protector of this state, which, if so, is something to be commended.

That Miyo can see past Fuyu’s attitude towards her to what she does for others is praiseworthy, to a point. One good deed does not excuse a bad one. While there is some addressing of Fuyu’s ill behavior in this episode, whether or not the series intends to fully take the antagonist to task for her unwarranted harshness towards Miyo remains to be seen.

After this touching scene between Miyo and Kiyoka, My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 sees Miyo attempt to understand the hostility between Kiyoka and Fuyu. Confronting Fuyu directly brings few results, though a chart with Tadakiyo brings more to light. Miyo learns about how seriously Fuyu takes protecting her family, and how she wasn’t always as cold as she now is. These moments begin to put the pieces into place, assembling a clearer image of who Fuyu is.

The discussion is interrupted when a frantic knock at the door breaks the quiet atmosphere of the home. Villagers are outside, one of whom witnessed an attack by some form of demon. Injured and half-crazed, the man soon collapses and must be brought inside. While Kiyoka rushes out to check on things, he commands everyone else to remain there.

Once the injured man is brought in, Miyo begins to try to help him. Seeing his deep distress, she considers using her Dream Sight to try to help him. When Fuyu appears and demands Miyo leave as there is nothing she can do to help, Miyo refuses, revealing her bloodline and ability to Fuyu. She begins to try to help the man but is pulled out of his mind by the arrival of Arata (Ryohei Kimura, A Condition Called Love).

The final moments of My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 leave the episode hanging with a palpable amount of tension. Arata’s appearance, Kiyoka’s impending confrontation, and whether Miyo can save the troubled villager are all narrative elements left dangling, creating compelling reasons to return for the next entry.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 brings more emotion to the series, mixed with a healthy dose of danger. It effortlessly navigates the various tones of its narrative, allowing each moment to coexist with the rest.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 2 is streaming now on Netflix.