Recap for “Durian’s Affair” Episodes 1 and 2

If you are ready for a wild ride, then you must check out the newest makjang on the block, “Durian’s Affair,” a timeslip, family drama filled with murder and money, lots of money considering we are talking about a generationally rich chaebol family. One thing to note is that the people have different names in the Joseon and modern timelines, but I will just refer to them as their modern names to help keep it straightforward.

The titular character of this drama is Du Ri An, a noblewoman from the Joseon dynasty who travels to the present day during an eclipse. Her lover dies in the past (her present) and she is shocked to see him in the present (her future). But she is not alone in her time travel.

Kim Seo Jeo is a noblewoman from the Joseon dynasty and Du Ri An’s daughter-in-law, who also travels to modern times with Du Ri An. They are both shocked to wind up in 21st century Korea and 21st century Korea is shocked to have them! In the Joseon Dynasty, she is married to Du Ri An’s son, Dan Deung Myung, who died suddenly and inexplicably in the past.

Dan Chi Gam plays a slave and Du Ri An’s lover in the Joseon dynasty and the engaged son of a chaebol in the modern timeline. In the Joseon timeline, he is the secret father of Du Ri An’s son, Dan Deung Myung. But he gets murdered by the matriarch of the family, Baek Do Yi (who I’ll mention a little later). Dan Chi Gam’s fiancé in the modern timeline is Lee Eun Seong, a successful lawyer who starts to grow suspicious of Du Ri An. I am sure this threesome will bring tons of drama, hence the title, wink wink!

Dan Chi Gang is Du Ri An’s miserable husband in the Joseon dynasty and a ruthless businessman in the modern timeline. He is a cold man but is obsessed with Du Ri An. The last son of the family is Dan Ji Jung, who is also Dan Deung Myung’s father in the modern timeline (or so we are supposed to think; I have my reservations!).

Dan Chi Gang, Dan Chi Gam, and Dan Ji Jung are the sons of matriarch Baek Do Yi who has an iron grip on this family in the modern storylines. The tricky part is, everyone isn’t part of her family in the Joseon storyline, for instance, Dan Chi Gam is a slave in the Joseon dynasty, but is reincarnated as her chaebol’s son in the modern one. But, hmm, could he have also been her secret son in the past? I’m so curious!

Episode 1 and 2 Recap for Durian’s Affair

Episode one drops us right into a lavish and elegant house party in the modern storyline, celebrating the matriarch’s 70th birthday. They went all out with bouquets of flowers draping the place and opera singers serenading her. She treated herself to plastic surgery which her sons Chi Gam, Chi Gang, and Chi Jung lovingly joke about. But, we do see tensions amiss in this family with the wives and fiancé’s.

Chi Gang’s wife is clearly unhappy, though we are unsure why, though later we find out during a family dinner that this is because she is in love with matriarch, Baek Do Yi! Y’all, I burst out laughing. What an awkward family gathering! They try to talk some sense into her and are basically like, listen, even if you do love your mother-in-law, you are literally married … and to her son at that… so this wouldn’t work out on several levels, go outside and touch some grass.

But Jang Se Mi is calm and tells them that the heart wants what the heart wants. They tell her and her heart to go get some therapy. Let me tell you, I was hooked in this moment because I did not expect that confession and I also didn’t expect everyone’s reactions and I had secondhand embarrasment, it was cringeworthy in the best way possible.

At the end of this spectacularly wealthy birthday party, two women appear dressed in all-white hanboks. These women are Du Ri An and Kim So Jeo, fresh from their timeslip through a pond on the property.

I should tell you that these first two episodes hop back and forth between the present and past timelines a lot. But not only that, when we are in the past timeline, it also hops around in the past timeline a lot too. It is enough to give you whiplash, but I’ll try and keep it straight here.

What you really need to know in the past timeline is that Du Ri An is in a miserable marriage and is unable to get pregnant. Her mother-in-law, matriarch Baek Do Yi, has Du Ri An sleep with a very strong slave named Dol Soe (Dan Chi Gam in the modern storyline) and they fall in love. The matriarch then kills Dol Soe by poison.

Su Ri An gives birth to a son, Dan Deung Myung, who grows into a handsome and lovely young man with manners. He marries Kim So Jeo and they have a great newlywed life. But then Dan Deung Myung dies suddenly, and no one knows why. This sends Kim So Jeo into a huge depression. She runs out of the house one night, aiming to jump into the pond to end things. Su Ri An sees her and runs after her, sensing what Kim So Jeo is about to do. They both end up jumping into the pond when they emerge, they are in the modern timeline where all their loved ones are still alive, though not exactly how they remembered them.

Anyway, they are both so shocked at modern Korea, that they pass out. Dan Chi Gam (the lover in the past life) is there when they pass out and takes them to his house.

That is basically all that happens in the first two episodes. Honestly, most of the story happens in the first episode, the second episode is pretty much all about the love story between Dan Deung Myung and Kim So Jeo, so if you love watching people fall in love, you will love that episode!

Are you watching “Durian’s Affair”? Did this recap get you intrigued if you aren’t? If so, you can stream it right now on KOCOWA+!