In ‘Motel California’, Lee Se-young was shocked to learn about her father Choi Min-soo's cancer diagnosis.
In the episode aired on the 14th, MBC's Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California’ (written by Lee Seo-yoon, directed by Kim Hyung-min and Lee Jae-jin), the truth about the accident that caused the deaths of Kang-hee's mother and Yeon-soo's father was revealed, leading to the rekindling of love between Kang-hee (played by Lee Se-young) and Yeon-soo (played by Na In-woo). However, Kang-hee was shocked to learn about Chun-pil's (played by Choi Min-soo) cancer diagnosis. As a result, the viewership rating for ‘Motel California’ episode 11 recorded 3.7% nationwide and 3.8% in the metropolitan area. The scene where Kang-hee witnessed Chun-pil preparing for admission to a nursing home saw the highest rating rise to 4.2%. (Nielsen Korea household standard)
In this episode, Yeon-soo firmly held onto Kang-hee, who was saying goodbye. Kang-hee pushed Yeon-soo away, believing that her mother's and Yeon-soo's father's deaths were her fault, but Yeon-soo expressed his unwavering feelings for Kang-hee, saying he would wait until the end. When Kang-hee considered quitting her job out of guilt, Seok-kyung (played by Kim Tae-hyung) advised her to resolve it together with Yeon-soo, drawing attention to Kang-hee's choice.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Chun-pil's cancer had recurred after battling blood cancer three years ago, shocking everyone. Chun-pil confessed to Yeon-soo that he would no longer undergo chemotherapy, but Yeon-soo, recalling the memories of Chun-pil who cared for him like a biological son, tried to persuade him to continue treatment, moving viewers to tears. At the same time, Chun-pil earnestly requested that Kang-hee never find out, leaving Yeon-soo in deep thought.
During this time, Kang-hee heard from Nan-woo (played by Choi Hee-jin) that Yeon-soo was looking for a job in Seoul, and misunderstanding that Yeon-soo was avoiding her because of the accident, she decided to study abroad in the U.S. with Esther (played by Seo Ye-hwa). Yeon-soo, who visited Kang-hee, decided to go to the police station together to confirm the cause of the accident. At that moment, Kang-hee discovered a hospital waiting ticket in Yeon-soo's coat pocket, revealing her curiosity about its identity.
The next day, Kang-hee and Yeon-soo learned the full story of the accident through the traffic accident investigation records, leaving them astonished. The accident that day was a chain collision caused by icy roads. After attending a meeting between Su-ji (played by Ji Soo-won) and Mok-won (played by Sun Woo-jae-deok), they wanted to share the whole truth, but at that moment, Su-ji revealed another reason for her hatred towards Kang-hee, delivering a huge shock. In fact, the exhaust pipe where Kang-hee had placed the doll belonged to Su-ji's car. Su-ji had misunderstood that Kang-hee had placed the doll there as revenge against her. As all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, Kang-hee embraced the vision of her younger self, as if washing away all her pain, evoking deep emotion.
However, towards the end of the episode, Kang-hee discovered a pile of medication bags in Chun-pil's room, signaling a new crisis. Following Yeon-soo and Chun-pil, Kang-hee witnessed Chun-pil preparing for admission to a nursing home, engulfed in shock and anger. Ultimately, upon hearing that Chun-pil had cancer, she poured out her resentment and feelings of betrayal towards Yeon-soo, saying, “What are you two thinking? Am I really not a daughter or anything?” leaving viewers' hearts aching as the episode ended.
Thus, Kang-hee and Yeon-soo learned the truth about the accident and freed themselves from all past guilt and misunderstandings, but Chun-pil's battle with cancer posed a crisis for their ‘2023 first love narrative’. It remains to be seen what choices Kang-hee and Yeon-soo will make regarding Chun-pil's cancer battle, as attention is drawn to Kang-hee's life remodeling just one episode before the finale.
‘Motel California’ will air its final episode on the 15th at 9:50 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
