The KBS2 weekend drama Recipe For Love completely captivated weekend primetime with its sharply contrasting middle-aged couples in Episodes 3 and 4, which aired last weekend. The showdown between Han Sung-mi and Gong Jung-han, and Yang Dong-ik and Cha Se-ri, drove tension and viewer engagement to new heights.
Han Sung-mi and Gong Jung-han embodied a relatable yet warm middle-aged marriage. Initially reacting coldly to her husband’s decision to run for merchant association president, Han Sung-mi ultimately put aside her pride after Cha Se-ri’s provocation and chose to support him, delivering a dramatic reversal.
When Han Sung-mi became entangled in baseless infidelity rumors, she proposed appearing together on a couples’ broadcast. Gong Jung-han agreed under the condition of introducing what he called a “premium psychological analyzer,” blending tension with humor. Their ability to move between grounded wit and emotional sincerity resonated strongly with viewers.
In contrast, Yang Dong-ik and Cha Se-ri displayed a bold alliance driven by strategy and ambition. Cha Se-ri carefully maneuvered the election landscape to their advantage while reassuring her husband, and Yang Dong-ik placed full trust in her tactics, focusing on campaign promotion and funding. Her calculated move to frame Han Sung-mi in an affair scandal heightened the drama’s suspense.
A striking moment came when Cha Se-ri told her son Yang Hyun-bin, “It’s because your father lacks affection. I’ll make him someone without that void,” revealing her deep attachment to her husband and underscoring the emotional bond beneath their ambition.
The highlight of the episodes was the couples’ head-on confrontation. A fierce physical altercation over the spread of alleged affair photos escalated to a police substation, while Gong Jung-han launched a nighttime covert maneuver, shifting blame for campaign poster vandalism onto Yang Dong-ik to seize the upper hand. Their face-off at the official campaign rally intensified the pride-fueled rivalry between the two households.
With layered performances and a tightly constructed narrative, the series successfully captures both the depth and entertainment of a middle-aged storyline. According to Nielsen Korea, Episode 4 recorded a nationwide household rating of 17.7%, ranking first among weekend programs. During the home shopping exposure incident involving Gong Joo-ah, the minute-by-minute peak rating surged to 19.5%.
Episode 5 of Recipe For Love airs Saturday at 8 p.m.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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