Life never goes the way we expect, especially for those who don’t have plenty of options. Because of this, parents strive to create a path for their kids to the best possible future they can manage, even if it causes some resentment. The Good Bad Mother portrays this, with some melodramatic flair, but the way the series tells its story is complex, layered, but totally compelling – as Jin Young-soon tries to reconnect with her son while also seeking justice for her husband, and Choi Kang-ho looks for family in any way he can. And it’s balanced with lighthearted humor and slice-of-life sequences that celebrate the lives of the ordinary people.

The Good Bad Mother might have a few too many accidents to stir the story, and with the plot points, it gets into melodrama territory easily. That being said, the intense emotions of the show don’t spring out of nowhere– it’s a natural consequence of the injustice done to their family, which continues to cause further harm. And it’s clear that the leads Ra Mi-ran and Lee Do-hyun understand this, grounding the melodrama with their excellent portrayals and natural chemistry that balances both the twisted feelings of love and resentment that plenty of families have. It makes it easy to root for these two, and hope that they’re able to heal the fractured mother-son relationship.