The Atypical Family – K-drama Episode 7 Recap & Review

Episode 7

Episode 7 of The Atypical Family features the aftermath of Da-hae’s confession about the reality of her family. After the crashed wedding, Gwi-joo revisits the past multiple times, while Dong-hee reveals that Da-hae stole their family ring.

Gwi-joo revisits the wedding scene once again, and we find his past self-questioning Da-hae and her intentions. Da-hae reveals that everything she had shared with Gwi-joo was part of her “repertoire,” adding, “A pitiful high school girl who survived a fire. Nothing melts a person’s heart faster than that.” She also reveals that it’s the same way she married her last two husbands. At this moment, the future Gwi-joo walks towards her and disappears as the past Gwi-joo leaves her in disbelief. Gwi-joo returns to the present and tears the marriage certificate.

Back at the sauna, Il-hong questions whether Da-hae deliberately quashed the wedding as a member of the Boks, but Da-hae replies she wants to quit. However, she is locked in the room by the rest instead. Da-hae’s fake uncle and sister insist that the Boks might have superpowers.

Elsewhere, Joon-woo visits I-na while she’s sitting by herself in the classroom and invites her to eat with him, but I-na refuses. Joon-woo says that Hye-rim wants her to come as well, but when I-na reads Hye-rim’s mind, she knows that Hye-rim wants her gone. So, I-na leaves in a hurry, leaving her spectacles in Hye-rim’s hands. She remembers her mother’s death and feels distraught. Moreover, she has a tough time accidentally reading the minds of strangers and feels scared.

She eventually ends up in front of the sauna, and Il-hong takes her inside. Il-hong tries to use I-na to her advantage but to no avail. She then calls Da-hae and instructs her to leverage I-na’s presence to their advantage. Da-hae, however, doesn’t plan to do any such thing and takes I-na to buy new spectacles instead.

Later, when Da-hae intends to return I-na to her father, I-na warns Da-hae that Il-hong is testing her loyalty. Gwi-joo tells Da-hae about his friend who might have died rescuing her and asks her to live a good life. He also informs her that he’ll erase her from his memories and never return. Da-hae turns to leave but comes face to face with another Gwi-joo! This future Gwi-joo makes her inform the present Gwi-joo that Dong-hee is in danger.

Elsewhere, Dong-hee is working out at the gym when Grace appears. She stops all elevators and seems to be brewing mischief. Dong-hee intends to meet her former fiancé but finds all routes blocked. She then decides to fly, but Grace pushes her from the top floor, intending to record a video of Dong-hee flying, but to no avail. Dong-hee drops to the ground and fortunately lands on Gwi-joo and faints. Da-hae sees Grace upstairs just as she leaves in a hurry.

The two get Dong-hee admitted to the hospital where Gwi-joo finds that Dong-hee is fine other than being malnourished. Elsewhere, since I-na had seen Da-hae acting funny, Da-hae reluctantly tells her that she can see and touch Gwi-joo from the future. Meanwhile, Dong-hee wakes up and informs her mother about Da-hae’s presence when she had her accident. However, Gwi-joo later clarifies her misconception.

Unfortunately, Man-heum and her husband arrive at the hospital, and Man-heum slaps Da-hae for “luring” I-na, prompting Da-hae to leave the family. I-na discloses that Da-hae can see and touch Gwi-joo from the future and reads her grandfather’s mind, where she reveals that he knew the truth as well.

Man-heum hurries home but is particularly rude and unconcerned towards Soon-gu, hurting his feelings. Soon-gu leaves after handing the records of the Bok family ancestors to Man-heum, adding that she “can’t know everything.” Man-heum realizes that “mutation of powers always comes at a price.”

Back at the Bok residence, Gwi-joo checks on Dong-hee before making his way to I-na. I-na informs him that Da-hae might be “locked up or worse” and leaves, adding, “Do you still not get why she ruined the wedding?” This makes Gwi-joo travel back in time just after the wedding and asks Da-hae why she ruined the wedding and subsequently her plan. Before she can answer, Il-hong arrives, slaps her, and the rest of them take her away.

In the present, Il-hong and the others question Da-hae’s intentions, but Gwi-joo arrives at the sauna and proposes striking a deal with Il-hong to re-establish their relationship since both of them need each other. Il-hong needs his family’s money, and Gwi-joo needs Da-hae to return to the past. We aren’t sure yet what Gwi-joo’s plan is. Elsewhere, Soon-gu is at the club yet again with someone we haven’t met yet.

Later, Da-hae questions Gwi-joo’s intentions, but he simply replies that they need to spend time together “as often and as much as possible.” He then adds that he has to undo the past and that he’s going to hold on to her. Saying this, he transports to the time when he told Da-hae that he would never come back. He approaches Da-hae in the past and says, “Don’t let me go,” just like he did when Da-hae stopped him to caution him about Dong-hee.

The Episode Review

It’s always intriguing how some of the show’s episodes are structured in the form of an event loop. As Gwi-joo frequently revisits the same scene multiple times, each revisit reveals layers of seemingly hidden aspects, adding depth to the plot while simultaneously advancing it. Gwi-joo’s persistent past travels, which he doesn’t seem to have any control over, parallel the late-night overthinking and regrets that many people experience in similar situations. The conceptualization of such a relatable aspect of life in the show makes it unique and amusing.

This episode breaks from the con-artist trope as we pass the halfway mark in the series. As we progress, the nuance of the character emerges. For instance, Man-heum’s lack of care towards Soon-gu might explain his frequent visits to the club. On the other hand, the episode hints at a future challenge that’s slowly and steadily approaching Gwi-joo as a result of changes in his power. What this challenge will be and how it will affect the stakeholders involved, especially Da-hae and Gwi-joo’s relationship, is yet to be known.