What makes a good mother? Can they never be “bad”? Questions such as these are complex, nuanced and invariably differ from one person to another. But one thing is for sure, there can never be any fixed standards for motherhood. Netflix’s latest K-drama, The Good Bad Mother, looks at such complexities through the relationship between a mother and her son. It provokes you to think and to empathise, it thrills and yet strikes personal chords.

Plot Pot

JinYoung-soon (Ra Mi-ran) has had a life full of ups and downs. After an adorable proposal featuring a pig, she marries her husband, Choi Hae-shik (Jo Jin-woong) in the 80s. Although the two are deeply in love and lead a seemingly happy life, there is trouble in paradise when their pig farm is threatened with demolition as a part of the redevelopment project for the Seoul Olympics. Although they try to resist it, Hae-shik gets caught in the cross-fire and in a death staged as suicide. A pregnant Young-soon leaves to relocate to the small but bustling village, Jou-ri. It is here that she has her son, Choi Kang-ho (Lee Do-hyun). Although the villagers resist her pig farm at first, they soon come together to help her out.

As Kang-ho grows up, Young-soon is determined to make him have a good life away from the farm and pressurises him to study hard and prepare to become a prosecutor. She refuses to let him eat full meals lest he feels sleepy during studying and is strict about his schedule. However, there are glimpses of soft moments as well as concern laced in all her actions. In the present timeline, a grown-up Kang-ho, now an established prosecutor in Seoul, seems to resent his mother. Eventually, it also seems like he is caught up in a corrupt scheme that seemingly leads him to murder. However, tragedy strikes him too, when on his way back from seeing his mother, Kang-ho gets into a severe accident that leads to paralysis and regressive amnesia. Young-soon is then left to take care of a Kang-ho who has gone back to a childlike state.

The Good Bad Mother is so brilliantly written, it is hard to summarise it without giving away much. Each character and especially the two protagonists, are backed with complex personal histories that dictate much of their present actions and predicaments. While Young-soon gets another chance to forge a healthy relationship with her son, she also starts to discover more about Kang-ho’s life in Seoul, many aspects of which are not particularly pleasant. Their mother-son interactions are raw, loaded and will definitely move the audience. While you might dislike some of their actions, you will also find yourself rooting for them in other moments. The complexities of human relationships are brilliantly upheld. The side characters are just as worthy of praise, both in terms of performance as well as characterisation, which makes investing in them easy.

Already eight episodes in, the drama is proving one for the books with interesting cliff-hangers and a realistically emotional quotient. It is brave in its attempt to unpack all nuances, including the uncomfortable ones, in parental relationships. It is also refreshing and a guaranteed memorable watch.

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