What does it mean to be a good mother? What are the necessary virtues? Can a mother be good and bad at the same time? Netflix’s new South Korean series is a moving and thoughtful work that invites us to rethink the negative consequences of controlling, possessive and over-involved motherhood.
Starring the chameleonic Ra Mi-ran and Lee Do-hyun, The Good Bad Mother unpacks the vicissitudes, subtleties and ambivalence that can be experienced within the household with the arrival of a child. As the name of the show indicates, this is the story of a woman who goes too far in raising her young child with the intention of forging a life of privilege and power for him.
One of the highlights of the show is that it defies genre classification. According to IMDb, it is a “dramedy with criminal touches”, which means that we will have doses of drama, comedy, revenge thriller, and in addition, we will have a dose of rural life and pigs.
This daring mix of genres, a 14-episode miniseries (70-80 minutes each), directed by Shim Na-yeon and written by Bae Se-young, is fascinating and hooks you from the start.
Shim Na-yeon is known for drama series Han Yeo Reum’s Memory (2017), Moment at Eighteen (2019), Beyond Evil (2021). Screenwriter Bae Se-young, meanwhile, is responsible for films such as What a Man Wants (2018), Intimate Strangers (2018), Extreme Job (2019), Life is Beautiful (2022), among others.
What is The Good Bad Mother about?
Set in a small town in South Korea, The Good Bad Mother tells the story of Young-Soon (Ra Mi-Ran) and Choi Hae-shik (Jo Jin-woong), a pig-breeding couple who are ready to welcome their firstborn, Choi Kang-ho. At first glance, everything looks pretty good for them. Their life may be modest, but they are both cheerful and enjoy honest love.
However, everything gets complicated when a powerful conglomerate of construction companies intimidates the small family with the intention of taking over their land. As expected, farmer Choi Hae-shik adamantly refuses and challenges them on the spot.
Soon, Song Woo-byeok’s thugs set fire to the pig farm, settling the matter in the most brutal way possible. Things get especially raw when a fraudulent court exonerates Song Woo-byeok of the charges, and Young-Soon’s husband turns up lifeless.
After Choi Hae-shik’s suspicious suicide, Young-soon is left to fend for herself. The young woman has no choice but to make her own way and prepare to raise her child. Mourning and aggrieved by the legal system, the woman begins to devise a prominent future for Choi Kang-ho.
In The Good Bad Mother, Young-soon raises her little boy with iron discipline. She believes that a strict upbringing and a brutal academic regimen will ensure him a distinguished career and a prosperous life.
Eager to make Choi Kang-ho an influential and powerful man, the authoritarian mother sets him up as a prosecutor.
Although Young-soon loves Choi Kang-ho more than her own life, she soon becomes a domineering, possessive, and at times, extremely harmful mother. Time and again, the woman pushes the boy beyond his endurance.
In this regard, Young-soon does not allow little Choi Kang-ho to have too much fun with his toys or attend school functions. Nor does she allow him to watch television, or share with friends. She obsessively limits his food, his naps, and his time.
While it is true that Young-soon has a career goal that could eventually make Choi Kang-ho’s life easier, the show reiterates the idea that a person needs much more than just breaking academic records to feel fulfilled and satisfied.
At the core of The Good Bad Mother series, of course, is the suffocating and complicated relationship of Young-soon and her son. As might be expected, Young-soon’s invasive and controlling behaviors ultimately undermine family ties.
Choi Kang-ho can’t help but feel resentful for the childhood joy that was taken away from him. Overwhelmed by the inordinate pressure and angered by the constant intrusion into his life, the young man decides to leave and bury his past.
In a way, the family separation runs through them both. The estrangement deeply wounds both mother and son, but neither knows how to overcome this crossroads.
By the time Choi Kang-ho reaches adulthood and enjoys recognition at the Prosecutor General’s Office, there is practically no contact between them. Just as his mother had hoped, the young man manages to stand out in the workplace and his future seems to open up with great promise.
Unfortunately, Choi Kang-ho ends up becoming calculating and insensitive. Hardly a trace remains of the boy from the pig farm who exuded kindness.
The mother has achieved her goal, but the cost is undoubtedly too high.
Then one day, the ambitious prosecutor survives a devastating car accident that leaves him with the mentality of a 7-year-old boy; Choi Kang-Ho returns to his childhood self and is once again in need of a mother’s care.
Affected by the tragedy, Young-soon and Choi Kang-ho try to make sense of life after the accident.
“This is an opportunity from heaven. A chance to start life again,” the protagonist declares, clinging to optimism.
In a certain way, this unfortunate event is an opportunity for redemption for the woman. Life offers Young-soon the precious opportunity to reconnect with her son and make amends for her failures. Although the wounds between the two are deep and painful, our characters begin to mend the cracks in their relationship.
With the unconditional support of his mother, Choi Kang-ho sets out on his road to physical and mental recovery.
Eventually, the show reveals a delicate truth: Choi Kang-ho is not the ruthless prosecutor he used to appear to be. Choi Kang-ho is a brilliant and risk-taking man, doing his best to vindicate his family. Even if it means using numerous masks and tricks. Even if it means sacrificing himself.
By the end of The Good Bad Mother series, love is in the air and the wicked get their comeuppance.
Cast
Ra Mi-ran and Lee Do-hyun are a perfect duo. The actress gives a haunting performance, and makes an indelible impression every time she appears.
Few mothers on screen manage to shake the viewer so much. Both in her dominant and controlling facets, and in her vulnerable and close facets, Ra Mi-ran is heartbreaking.
Lee Do-hyun, meanwhile, shows splendid potential as he brings the complex Choi Kang-ho to life.
The 28-year-old actor naturally masters the different versions of the character. Lee Do-hyun manages to convince us at all times, whether as the relentless adult, the stifled teenager or the naive child. No wonder the performer has been widely praised for his work.
The rest of the cast of The Good Bad Mother more than fulfills their on-screen quota. There are many recognizable faces that shine even though their roles are limited.
Is The Good Bad Mother worth investing time in?
Without a doubt. Shim Na-Yeon directs one of the most touching stories to watch this year.
If you want to disconnect from daily obligations, The Good Bad Mother may be the ideal choice. Overall, the show leaves us with important lessons about second chances, family pressures, and the dangers of revenge.