Early Access: Hi Bye, Mama! E2 (Patreon)

E2. Usually with most dramas, you can kinda figure out the general trajectory of the story, ie, will it be a happy ending, will the couple end up together, etc, but with this one, I have to confess, I'm not really sure where we're going with this. I'm not sure whether Yu Ri is going to be able to complete her mission, of regaining her place in the world within the allotted 49 days, or whether she will help Kang Hwa heal from the loss of her, and make this new family a true one, with Min Jeong in the place that she used to occupy, before crossing over. This sense of not knowing where we're meant to go, is rather different, and I'll count it a good thing, since Show seems confident of what it's doing.

This episode, we take a closer look at Kang Hwa's pain at losing Yu Ri, and it's really heartbreaking. To think that Mom was right; he'd been looking to give them custody of Seo Woo, so that he could join Yu Ri in death. He just cannot picture life without her, and he literally can barely breathe. His tears, falling to the ground, as he kneels to beg his parents-in-law to take Seo Woo, are gutting to see. He's one gigantic open wound and it's like he's leaking pain with every breath. Oof. Mom appears harsh in turning him away, but Mom is right; it's because of Seo Woo, that Kang Hwa survives.

The trauma of losing Yu Ri is still so painful for Kang Hwa, that he can't function as a surgeon. He's learned to cover up the pain in other ways, over the years, and has even somehow managed to remarry, but the gaping hole that Yu Ri left, is still very much there, as we see this episode. The moment he spots her in the crowd, he can't stop looking at her, and afterwards, he can't stop thinking about her, and keeps spacing out. On the one hand, it's poignantly sweet that he still loves her so much, after all that's happened; on the other hand, it hits me in the heart, to realize just how much agony he's swallowed and endured over these years, as Seo Woo's grown from an infant to a little girl.

Yu Ri is as delightful as ever; the way she reacts with such wonder and glee, at being able to be seen, and touched; at existing on the human plane again, is endearing and adorable. She's got such a pure and childlike spirit. I love her. The way she enjoys looking out the window on the bus, just feeling the wind in her face, is so endearing. 

There's a lot of poignance too, like in the way Yu Ri wants so dearly to go to her family, but is afraid of what it might to Mom's weak heart, to see her in the flesh all of a sudden. The way she hid behind the car, and watched from a distance, is so heart-tugging. I know Mom and Dad would dearly love to see her too, if they knew.

I love the moment that Yu Ri finally gets to hold Seo Woo in her arms. It's so unexpected and sudden, but Yu Ri leans into the moment and soaks it up with tearful wonder. It's something that she's wanted for so long, and it's been out of her reach for so long, and now, she finally is able to hold her baby in her arms. How precious.

Even though it was reckless of Yu Ri to take Seo Woo from school when she got mistaken for the person who was supposed to pick up Seo Woo, I can understand why she'd do it. It's a chance for her to walk her daughter home, hand in hand; a chance to do something that she'd never dreamed possible. Given how much joy and fulfillment this would give Yu Ri, I can understand why she'd choose to take the chance, and think about any consequences later. To her, this is probably worth any price that she'd have to pay. 

I'm glad that by the time we end the episode, Kang Hwa finally sees Yu Ri properly, and this time, when she's with Seo Woo too. I'd rather he meet her properly now, rather than have them waste more of these 49 days dodging each other with almost-meets. I want the 49 days to be utilized to the full.

It looks like Min Jeong is contemplating divorce, and she does seem less than a fully interested stepmom, but I'm hesitant to conclude that this means our endgame is Yu Ri regaining her place and continuing to live on, beyond the 49 days. I mean, I would love that, but I think it would be heartbreaking to hope for it and then have it not happen, so I'm approaching this cautiously. Plus, I have a sneaking feeling that Show wants to have more of my tears than less, which might well mean Yu Ri completing her 49 days with helping her family to move on without her, which, sniffle. 

Are epilogues going to be a Thing with this show? In today's epilogue, we see that all the times that Kang Hwa ran around, sometimes in tears, just trying to take care of Seo Woo and carry on with life without Yu Ri, that she'd always been there, waiting for him, comforting him, and seeing him. I feel this balances out nicely, what we saw in episode 1, where it had seemed that Yu Ri only cared about Seo Woo. She does care about Kang Hwa too, and I'm glad that we got confirmation of that.