By @oldawyer
I love family weekenders (and dailies). But I have not loved every weekender, and can relate to those who have found one to be frustrating, infuriating, and unwatchable, as I too have had that experience. It is actually from the bad ones that I learned how to watch a weekender — because the best ones are effortless and what do you learn when it takes no effort? The majority of weekenders, of course, fall somewhere in between, but are still very watchable if only you know how to watch them. So here is my very own guide on what to expect and how to survive when faced with a weekender.
Weekenders tell a story — or rather many stories that involve families. Like all other dramas, they have a beginning and an end, and in this they are distinctly different from a never-ending soap opera (not a fan of those), but are much longer than a standard K-drama. Still, length itself does not bother most K-drama viewers as many have loved Six Flying Dragons which has 50 full length episodes (the same as a weekender), and some have even seen and loved Immortal Lee Soon-shin which has 160 episodes (as long as a daily).
If length is not the issue, why the difficulty with a weekender? I think the difficulty begins with expectations: confusion caused by the fact that a weekender appears to simply be another K-drama, raising the obvious questions as to why is it so long, and why it has so many characters. In fact, the length and larger cast both come from the fact that this story has to be longer because it will be telling many stories all at once — and in a more realistic time frame — because there is actually time and space for people to grow and change.
Length is part of the point of the weekender. We watch people change, and change takes time. When we see that change happen over time, it leads to poignant moments that are not nearly as possible with a shorter drama. In my pre-streaming days I brought home from the library the DVDs for the wonderful Smile You from 2009 and 2010. A secondary character in that show is Jung Ji-soo, who is a tough, embittered former gang-girl orphan who wants a better life and somehow meets our female lead’s older brother, who falls in love with her. Funny moments ensue, and she ends up staying with the family who come to accept her — but, almost tragically, she decides she is not good enough for the young man who loves her and leaves (noble idiocy at its stupidest). So what does the family do? They go and find her to bring her home. That moment when they arrive to fetch her back — and watching her expression as she understands what it means — still brings tears to my eyes. It is the moment when I fell in love with weekenders. What makes a moment like that so dramatic is the time that we have spent watching the characters and their relationships grow. To enjoy a weekender, start by knowing that the length is a feature, not a bug. Adjust your expectations to that idea, and simply enjoy a more leisurely journey.
Now I will surprise you with an unexpected suggestion: be prepared to use the fast forward button, but use it judiciously. Weekenders have several plot lines, so if there is a storyline that you just don’t get into, fast forward. But, be careful of doing that simply because you find a character awful. At the beginning of Father is Strange the character Kim Yoo-joo is simply awful, but she becomes a truly beautiful person over the course of the show and that story is one of the best plot lines in one of the greatest weekenders. You might want to check on that character from time to time. That said, fast forward used well can save a show for you.
Lest you end up hating all weekenders, and therefore miss out on a very good thing, my final suggestion is to know when to drop one. I have dropped more than one. Knowing when is a matter of understanding the structure. Start with the idea that because the drama will involve many characters and several stories, the first four episodes are introduction — the stage is simply being set for the play that follows. It is in the next four episodes that the stories truly begin to unfold, and you get a glimpse of the kind of action that you are looking at. It is at this point that you have enough information to make a decision, because now you know where the show is headed. This is your decision point. You may want to watch two more episodes, but this might also be the time to drop it. It is not worth 40 more episodes just to earn a bean. Of course, if you are still with the show after Episode 16, then it is best just to be honest with yourself and simply admit that they have you hooked. So, at that point, simply relax and let this be the show you watch while folding laundry.
Do not be surprised when you find yourself looking forward to the next episodes of a show whose length once intimidated you, now that you know that you did not have to make a big commitment going in. Instead, a weekender could be that constant in dramaland that anchors your week: a friend who stays for a good while.
