“Uncle” (엉클)

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
March 5, 2022

☆☆☆☆
Wang Jun-Hyeok (played by Oh Jung-Se)
Wang Jun-Hee (played by Jeon Hye-Jin) )
Min Ji-Hoo (played by Lee Kyung-Hoon)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

“Uncle” is a sweet, if at times silly, series about a family that struggles to stay together.

A victim of domestic abuse, Jun-Hee and her young son, Ji-Hoo,  escape from the home of her wealthy ex-husband, who — along with his mother — beats the pair on a regular basis. The child’s crime? Although he is an above average student, he wants to pursue music — like his uncle.

Soon enough, the uncle — Jun-Hee’s aimless younger brother, Jun-Hyeok — moves in with them into her surprisingly spacious apartment. The family is welcomed, until the snooty neighbors realize she’s a renter and doesn’t own her own unit. (This issue of renters vs. owners was also explored in “Happiness.”)

These Momvelys, as they call themselves, are members of an elite parents’ group that controls the goings on not only in the apartment complex, but also at school and in local politics. They’re stay-at-home busybodies who dislike Jun-Hee because she’s poor, doesn’t have a husband, and attracts the attention of Kyung-Il (Lee Sang-Woo) — the handsome, wealthy widower in their group.

There are many story arcs at work: Jun-Hyeok attempting to reclaim his short-lived career as a pop star, Ji-Hoo dealing with bullies at school, and Jun-Hee getting treatment for her substance abuse. There are also several brushes with death, a potential serial killer and so on.

Is it no wonder that the trio forms their own Scooby gang to come to grips with all the baggage the three have collected in their lives?

Some of the elements work better than others. For instance, Jun-Hyeok’s interactions with his nephew are particularly engaging. The relationship slowly evolves from contentious, to loving. And Oh Jung-Se and Lee Kyung-Hoon are delightful in their depictions of uncle and nephew, respectively.

But other vignettes are clumsily handled. The K-drama hits makjang territory with the Queen Bee Momvely storyline, where she is depicted as serial-killer evil.

“Uncle” essentially is about how familial love may be rooted in genetics. But there’s work to be done to truly be a family.

Airdates: Sixteen episodes — each about 70-minutes long  — aired on TV Chosun from December 11, 2021 to January 30, 2022.

Spoiler Alert: There is a happily ever after for all the main characters. Jun-Hyeok is now married with his own child. Jun-Hee and Kyung-Il have also married. And Ji-Hoo has grown up to become a famous idol. However, what I didn’t like is how it presented married life. The women are nags and the men sit around watching them cook, because they’re supposedly useless with domestic work. Hello? Uncle is as good of a cook, if not better, than his sister. And he’s certainly a better cook than his wife. So why isn’t he in the kitchen preparing the food for his daughter’s birthday party?

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