Tying up the loose ends of the series, we felt the love among Mi-jo, Chan-young and Joo-hee so prominent in the 11th episode of Thirty Nine.
For a moment, we all hoped for a miracle to happen in Thirty Nine. In the penultimate episode, it reminded us that when things are beyond our control, it is normal to feel disappointed and unhappy. From there, we move on and we appreciate things that we love, even if we can’t have them as much as we want.
abbyinhallyuland watches Thirty Nine on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03| 04| 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | Final Episode + Series Review |
Thirty Nine Episode 11 Key Moments
In the last episode, Mi-jo hits her tipping point with her birth mom’s inability to understand decency. She set forth to confront her once and for all.
Meanwhile, Chan-young is completing her bucket list while making arrangements for the things that need to be done for her looming departure. Joo-hee also opens up her heart to Mi-jo about her fears of what could happen once Chan-young is gone.
Also, episode 11 gives an adorable flashback of the three friends celebrating Mi-jo’s med school completion.
“You were never in my life. As I grew older I realized, no matter how tough life may be, and no matter what your story is, you should never abandon your child.”
Drawing the line that they are no longer family, Mi-jo tells her birth mom not to bother her and the people around her. She gives an ultimatum that she will no longer meet her.
Meanwhile, Chan-young’s illness has made her in pain at night. When her mom checks on her in the morning while she sleeps, she sees the columbarium contract her daughter bought for her.
That made her mom silently weep outside her apartment. When Chan-young wakes up, she realizes her mom saw the contract. When she meets her mom later, she explains she wants to settle things on her own while she still has time.
Unhappy about her daughter’s thoughts of spending time settling her affairs so she won’t burden them, Chan-young’s mother implores why she didn’t spend her time finding ways so she can live longer. Pleading to get treatment, Chanyoung is firm about not taking it anymore.
Meeting the girls, Chan-young also presented the contract for them to help her mother in case she will have questions. Mi-jo softly chides her for having the time to do it like her mom but Joo-hee mediates so she did not nag anymore.
“You know what, I shot a photo for my funeral. But I couldn’t tell the photographer it was for my funeral.”
Taking care of not sharing her recent encounter with her birth mom, Mi-jo speaks with Mi-hyun and reveals what happened to her lately.
Fully understanding her situation, Mi-hyun is happy that her predicament is resolved. She also happily seeks Sun-woo to invite him for a dinner with their parents.
So-won overcomes her fear and finds herself playing the piano again. She visits her brother to reveal her application as a pianist in an orchestra. Knowing Mi-jo’s encouragement brought out his sister’s confidence, he rushes to her place to thank her earnestly.
Before the dinner invite, Sun-woo meets Mi-jo’s father to confess what happened between his daughter and his father. Reassuring him that he understood his father like Mi-jo did, he urged him to continue being happy together, because that’s what matters.
Finally meeting his bride-to-be’s parents, Sun-woo fits easily into Mi-joo’s wonderful family.
“It’s hard to be the happiest terminally ill person.”
After bringing her parents to a nice restaurant, Chan-young relays pieces of advice for their own restaurants. Later, when she received a call from Mi-jo, she lies that she has plans when she’s just stuck on her bed.
At night, Mi-jo drags Chan-young for a drive as she was tipped earlier by Chan-young’s mom that she’s been idling in bed. Chan-young confesses about the photo she took earlier and feels sad that she wasn’t able to smile because she lied it was for an ID picture.
Chan-young continues to blab the things that she has been settling before her passing, but Mi-jo can only heave a sigh and listen to her best friend’s stories.
Finding a spot to chat, Mi-jo lets Chan-young blab about everything she wants to, even if it is about her dying. Wondering if she would be able to still see her and her loved ones after death, she admitted feeling scared of not knowing what will be of her when she passes away.
Professing her not-so-good condition and pain-killer dependency in the past few days, Mi-jo hopes that she can take her pain away. Moved by what she said, Chan-young is grateful to have lived a good life.
After sending Chan-young home, Mi-jo goes to see Joo-hee and talks about how Chan-young took a photo for her funeral on her own. Both recognize her worsening condition and they can only worry and feel bad about it.
“I want to be Jung Chan-young’s husband. Your husband. I want to be your husband even after you leave me.”
Flustered at Jin-seok’s request to register their marriage, Chan-young convinces him otherwise. However, Jin-seok is unyielding with his request as he yearns to be her husband even after she passes away.
Warning him to stop his nonsense, Chan-young declines his request.
Mi-jo meets Chan-young’s mom to convey their intention to renovate the restaurant after deeming it would make Chan-young at peace. Using her daughter’s happiness as a bargaining agreement, “Project Renovate Jung’s kitchen” is officially in full swing.
Meanwhile, Joo-hee also goes for her own friendship project and drags her friends for an outdoor pictorial. Figuring out Joo-hee’s action was because of her trip to the photo studio, Chan-young and Mi-jo just went ahead to ride their friend’s intention.
Resting their feet together after the photoshoot, Joo-hee conveys her plan to open a nail salon. She also bickers how bad Mi-jo is for not wanting to lend her nails when she gave her veins to her when she was studying at med school.
Remembering her successful mission, Mi-jo presents Jung’s Kitchen restaurant keys and declares the renovation is happening soon. The three friends start thinking of people to help on the project, and Chan-young strongly declares not including Jin-seok.
When they learn about Jin-seok’s marriage proposal, both of them agree.
“This is about the things we have lost. This is about you who we will be losing. This is about the things that won’t come back. This is about our moments.”
Summoning their inner Marie Kondo, Mi-jo, Sun-woo, Chan-young, Jin-seok and Joo-hee clear their schedules for Jung’s Kitchen renovation D-Day. Just when they are busy with the task, Joo-hee gives a surprised scream as Hyun-jun appears in front of her.
Expressing disappointment for not including him in the plan, Joo-hee reasons she felt bad if they will take his time and close his restaurant.
Accepting the new crew member, the group had a hearty dinner and check out the falling snow. They then decide on a karaoke night. The group bears Joo-hee’s tone-deaf number and then urges Mi-jo to sing her favorite old song.
But when the lyrics hit her current pain about her best friend leaving, she ends up staring at the falling snow. Tears well in her eyes as she exchange an anguished gaze with Chan-young.
In between tears and smiles, Mi-jo, Chan-young and Joo-hee affirm each other’s friendship and love.
Thirty Nine Episode 11 Musings
We are generously given strong emotional kicks in the last scenes of every episode of Thirty Nine. But for the 11th episode, the scene is extra dramatic. Just as the characters we have grown to love, prepare to send off Chan-young, we, too, are preparing to do the same.
Everything that we hope to happen is falling in the right places. Except of course Chan-young’s imminent death, her bucket list is almost done.
Did Hyun-jun catch on Joo-hee’s finger heart? We hope these two would finally go for the ending we want for them.
Seeing Mi-jo and Chan-young putting their courageous front to extend the strength and bliss they can give to Chan-young makes the final episode hard to watch, to be honest.
This episode confronts the reality of death for people who know they are bound to face it. Probably most of us had a lingering thought of what they could have done if presented with the same situation as hers.
Throughout the series, her decision to not prolong the agony and live the little time she has to the fullest with her loved ones reminds us to be grateful for the given time for us to exist.
If she will accept Jin-seok’s proposal, it would at least lessen the pain we’re expecting to feel in the last episode.
Don’t miss the final episode of Thirty Nine. International fans can watch it on Netflix!
Photos/Videos: JTBC
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