The Atypical Family ending explained – Jang Ki-yong and Chun Woo-hee’s K-Drama shares big similarities with Lovely Runner (2024)

The Atypical Family, starring Jang Ki-yong and Chun Woo-hee, had a decent run on Netflix, with its fair share of ups and downs in ratings. However, things have changed after the finale episode dropped. There was a surprise waiting for everyone, and people were left curious after what they saw in the supernatural drama. We decode what happened in episodes 11 and 12 that brought in such reactions, and how it is linked to another high-ranked K-Drama, Lovely Runner.

Bok Gwi-ju (Ki-yong) and Do Da-hae (Woo-hee) have a son who has the same powers as Gwi-ju. He can travel in the past, and do more. Bok Nu-ri can travel in the past and retrieve things and people from it. This sets the tone for the very last moment of the show.

Gwi-ju had travelled back in the past 13 years ago to save his colleague, who died while saving Da-hae from a fire. This time, the fire expanded when Gwi-ju was still inside. Just before that, he promised to meet Da-hae again.

Having travelled in the past, he is invisible to everyone. So, even if Gwi-ju survived, he had no option but to just go with the flow. However, Gwi-ju’s mother Bok Man-heum (Go Doo-shim) who can see into the future warns him not to travel into the past or he will die. She warns him about the mark around his neck, which is an indication of his clear death. Da-hae also tried to stop him from going back in the past, but that did not stop him. Despite the warnings, Gwi-ju had proceeded to save his colleague and got caught in the past.

In the present time, Gwi-ju was presumed dead and Nu-ri was born after Gwi-ju travelled back in time. Do-hae, who knows about her son’s powers, is in front of Gwi-ju’s tomb with the 5-year-old. The next minute, she enters his room and jokingly asks the little one to travel back in time 18 years ago, search for his father and bring him back. Nu-ri looks at Gwi-ju’s photo and it takes a minute, while Da-hae is lost in her thoughts and proceeding, when she realizes that something is new. She gets the gut feeling that the man she loved so dearly just might be back. And there he was! Nu-ri travelled back in time and hand-in-hand, he got Gwi-ju back to the present. Nu-ri saved his father and brought him back just a moment before he died. The scar on his neck is gone too, hinting there is no more fear of death. With that, it was a happy ending for The Atypical Family. Having grieved Gwi-ju along with the family members, seeing him back was a turning point, the proof of which was the soaring ratings of the finale episode (episode 12).

There’s a connection between Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok) and Gwi-ju. They both died while trying to save someone they loved dearly. Similarly, Im-sol (Kim Hye-yoon) and Da-hae played a major role in saving their precious one. While Im-sol actually travelled back in time and even stopped herself from meeting Sun-jae so he doesn’t end up dead, Da-hae’s feelings were conveyed through her son, who can travel back to the past and with that, get himself a father and his mother her husband. Obviously, both Sun-jae and Im-sol from Lovely Runner, and Gwi-ju and Da-hae from The Atypical Family find their happy ending through their married life.

Gwi-ju and Da-hae’s fate is interlinked to his sister Bok Dong-hee (Claudia Kim). Despite having a solid personality with superpowers to fly, she has her weak moments. This is especially visible around Dr. Ji-han, who she wants to marry despite knowing he is not a good man, only because she wants to get out of her house. Grace (Ryu Abel) and Da-hae help Dong-hee see who Ji-han really is, for he is cheating on his fiancé. Thus, Dong-hee finally gathers the courage to break up with Ji-han. He cannot accept the decision and blackmails Dong-hee that he would burn the school where Da-hae studies. Although he did not intend to, Ji-han accidentally sets the school on fire. Yes, the same fire that Gwi-ju got caught up in.

Meanwhile, Ji-han’s good-looking uncle Hyung-tae (Choi Kwang-rok) steps in and protects Dong-hee. This has got her interested in him. Soon enough, Grace introduces him to the family, which Dong-hee feels is for dating purposes and rejects him immediately. On realizing that he is the gym trainer, she gets embarrassed but does end up flirting with him. Hyung-tae also protects Dong-hee when Ji-han tries to leak a video where her superpowers are clear. Dong-hee might be able to fly but she is conscious about being overweight and thus, prefers not to.

Five years later, Grace is at the gym while Dong-hee is flying, with Hyung-tae in her arms. This is a major hint that this couple also found their happy ending. It is also a big hint about what we can expect from the second season of the K-Drama.