Two Mothers

My Rating: ★★★★★

Two Mothers (뻐꾸기 둥지), aka Cuckoo Nest, is a South Korean melodrama (makjang ie ridiculous drama) that was broadcast in 2014.

About

Hwa Yeong believes that Yeon Hee, her brother’s ex-girlfriend, drove him to his death. When the unhappily married Yeon Hee is diagnosed with uterine cancer, Hwa Yeong volunteers to become a surrogate mother for her, all the while planning her revenge. Hwa Yeong conceives and gives birth, lets Yeon Hee raise the child, and then destroys Yeon Hee by trying to take the child back. Later, Yeon Hee tries her best to get her child back. Yeon Hee’s husband regrets letting Yeon Hee go.

Cast

Jang Seo-Hee (장서희) as Baek Yeon-Hee
She has been in a number of makjangs probably best known for Temptation of Wife.

Hwang Don-Joo (황동주) as Jung Byeong-Kook
He has also been in a number of makjangs such as Red Shoes, Gold Mask and Snow Whites’s Revenge.
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Lee Chae-Young (이채영) as Lee Hwa-Young
Great actress from Man in a Veil and Woman in a Veil
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The show starred lots of other great actors and actresses too many to mention here.

The show was directed by Kwak Ki-Won and the screen writer Hwang Soon-Young who also wrote Red Shoes and Snow White’s Revenge.

Review

I didn’t see this show until well after it had originally broadcast.

There were some familiar elements to this makjang; the desperate mother, the poor family who are desperate for money, the rich family who are also dysfunctional but in this case not as evil as in other soaps.

The surrogate mother story line was the first time I have seen that in a makjang. Like Woman in a Veil there was a reason why one of main characters led to doing the things she did, even though quite wrong.

At first I wasn’t in doubt whether I would enjoy this drama but really got into it the more it went on.

Also, at first, I wasn’t too keen on the end theme but also enjoyed that too.

In many makjang’s there is usually one episode that stands out from the others, and for Two Mothers that has to be Episode 66, I have re-watched it numerous times.

The one things that I found a little annoying in the show was the poor mother screeching, it got on my nerves a bit. They made that character well over the top.

Summary

Shortly way into the show, if I had stopped watching at that point, I would have given it a 3/5 but since it improved I will give it a 5/5. Absolutely worth the watch.