4 Emotional Moments In Episodes 3-4 Of "Motel California"
We are only four episodes in, yet each episode is more emotional than the last. From Yeon Soo’s (Na In Woo’s) insecurity related to his weight to Kang Hee’s (Lee Se Young’s) rejection of her first love and Kang Hee’s father Ji Chun Pil’s (Choi Min Soo’s) dream motel renovation plan, here are four emotional moments from “Motel California” episodes 3 and 4.
Trigger warning: the following content discusses fatphobia and body-image issues.
Warning: spoilers for episodes 3-4 ahead!
The reason why Yeon Soo lost weight
Most of the time in media, when one of the main leads is overweight, they are usually shown to lose weight and get the attention of their crush. But in Yeon Soo’s case, even though he is unaware of Kang Hee’s love for him, he knew that she at least liked him enough to get intimate with him. She has never kept her affection for him hidden. Even in one of the scenes where teenage Yeon Soo expresses his love for her while also mentioning how he does not feel worthy of her, she responds with, “Who says you are lacking?” She follows this by saying she is the one who needs to be a better person so that loving her doesn’t bring him embarrassment. So, while Yeon Soo’s weight transformation is not the main focus of “Motel California,” it did make the viewers question why he actually lost weight.
“Motel California” uses this opportunity to show how negative affirmations usually affect an individual more than positive ones and how words from loved ones often mean nothing when someone is self-conscious about their looks. As it turns out, Yeon Soo’s own insecurities, perpetuated by societal beauty standards, are the reason he ended up losing weight. Even though Kang Hee tells him before going to Seoul not to lose weight, after traveling to Seoul on his off days to look for Kang Hee and seeing her with Geum Seok Kyeong (Kim Tae Hyeong), he decides to look more like the men in Seoul and starts exercising daily.
To preface, there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to lose weight; it does not make anyone fatphobic, but knowing the reason behind Yeon Soo’s transformation once again proves the pressure young people go through to fit into society.
The end of first love
Anyone with two eyes and basic K-drama knowledge can tell by looking at the poster for “Motel California” alone that Kang Hee and Yeon Soo are endgame. They are childhood best friends who secretly love each other and are finally reconnecting after years, and the love in their hearts has not faded. But even after knowing all of this, seeing Kang Hee reject Yeon Soo does not get any easier to watch.
We, as viewers, know why Kang Hee says no to him. It is not because she considers him beneath her, or because she has fallen out of love with him, but because she cannot imagine going back to her hometown and considers herself not the perfect person for Yeon Soo. Knowing her “Our first love ends here” lie not only hurts Yeon Soo but also hurts Kang Hee equally, making the entire situation extra emotional.
Motel Hana’s renovation plan
On the surface, Kang Hee acts indifferent in front of her father, Ji Chun Pil. She calls him by his full name instead of calling him Dad, and she visits him only once a year on their shared birthday. Seeing the way she acts around her own father might make one think she does not care for him—but the reality could not be more different.
In the latest episodes, Kang Hee gets the assignment to renovate Motel Hana across from her father’s motel, Motel California, in her hometown. At first, she refuses to go, but in the end, she accepts the job because her superior cannot go due to an accident. At the time of meeting the owner of Motel Hana, she realizes her father has bought the motel, so she acts like she does not know him in front of Seok Kyeong and even refuses to stay at Motel California.
However, when it comes to planning the renovation, she suggests that the motel should have a pool, a party room, and a jazz band on the roof. She also suggests that Motel Hana should be advertised as “Otel Hana” instead, since the letters “Otel” are in both hotel and motel, thus “eliminating the difference.”
At first, it seems like just another one of Kang Hee’s original brilliant ideas, but in a flashback, it is revealed that it was actually Ji Chun Pil’s dream to buy Motel Hana, install the rooftop pool and party room, and hire his favorite jazz band to play. This flashback once again proves that no matter how tough and emotionless Kang Hee tries to act on the surface, she remembers every single detail about the people she loves.
Kang Hee and Yeon Soo’s yearning for each other
After Kang Hee rejects Yeon Soo’s proposal, they both go their separate ways, but they just cannot stop loving each other. It is not said how much time has passed exactly, but the proposal happens on Christmas of 2023, and when the couple meets again after a while, it is mentioned that Motel Hana’s renovation deadline is Christmas 2024. So, it is implied that a little less than a year has passed but Kang Hee and Yeon Soo have not been able to move on, and both of them think that the other person is dating someone else.
On one hand, Yeon Soo keeps Kang Hee’s favorite chamomile tea at his veterinary clinic even though no one at the clinic drinks it. On the other hand, Kang Hee has dreams about Yeon Soo getting married to someone else. If only Kang Hee builds some courage to open up her heart, she would know that they can easily break the wall she has built between them.
While everything in “Motel California” is perfect, the only thing that keeps frustrating viewers is the constant misunderstandings between our main leads. It makes sense for Yeon Soo to assume Kang Hee is dating a man from Seoul, but why did Ah Reum (Lee So Yi) tell Kang Hee that Yeon Soo is dating the doctor at his clinic when he is still single and hung up on Kang Hee? Was that Ah Reum’s way of preventing Kang Hee from coming into Yeon Soo’s life again and breaking his heart, or was it a plot hole? Hopefully, we will know the reason in the upcoming episodes.
Start watching “Motel California”:
Hello Soompiers! How long do you think it will take Kang Hee to realize that Yeon Soo is still single? Let us know in the comments!
Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently watching: “Namib,” “Love Scout,” “Motel California,” and “Doom At Your Service.”
Looking forward to: “Reborn” and “Weak Hero Class 2.”
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