We’re at Grandpa’s birthday, and there’s a surprise proposal!
Except, responsible CEO Pai knows it’s really a calculated business move. Hapless cousin North hopes love is still involved. Pai hopes so, too.
Grandpa wants to know when Pai is getting married
Pai is too busy CEOing. Grandpa doesn’t want North to get married yet because he needs to learn about business from his cousin first.
North would rather open a bakery with a friend. Opening and failing businesses are how he avoids his cousin. North lost his parents when he was young, and Pai constantly scolds him for his mistakes.
Meanwhile, Pai is up late working when he goes on a walk and meets a mysterious, handsome man who dropped his keys in a pond. The man blames the mall owner for having so many ponds.
Tim introduces himself, but Pai does not reveal that he is the mall owner.
I’ve long held a theory that gay men mate in water
Pai falls into the pond while helping find the keys, and Tim goes in after him. Then they’re splashing each other and dragging each other down.
Later, Pai reveals he’s the mall owner. Tim is embarrassed, but twists it so Pai owes him a meal. Pai is interested enough to sniff Tim’s business card and check him out online.
The meal eventually happens at the mall’s food court. Tim tells Pai the sad story of his poor parents and why he became an architect to support them.
Months roll by, and they move in together. Tim meets the family, fails to impress Pai’s aunt, but wins over Grandpa.
They’ve been together for a year when Tim holds a friend’s baby, and Pai is moved to bring up marriage and family. With that, Tim proposes with his mother’s ring!
But you’ve noticed the title of this show, right?
Here’s Tim at his scam-planning whiteboard, crossing out a sticky that says “Propose.” Two other key stickies: “DO NOT THINK PAI IS CUTE” and “DO NOT FALL FOR THE TARGET AT ALL COSTS.”
Remember cousin North? He’s upset about a breakup, and Pai scolds him for being a bad judge of character. Then he encourages North to get back into the world, and North goes on a solo hike.
And what’s this? Is it water?
North struggles with a rope bridge over a river when tall, dark, and handsome shows up to help. North still lands in the water, but he gets comfort and a sympathetic ear from U.
But they can’t find their way back and give up for the night. North is convinced they might die. They talk about the future and soulmates, and do some staaaaring!
Then North sneezes! He’s feverish! He needs cuddling! They’re adorable!
The next morning, they easily find their way back. U gives North a plastic ring from a coin machine, and North wants to exchange info.
At home, North contemplates the plastic ring before making a big decision. He finds U at his meatball restaurant job, and proposes! And gives U a huge check as a dowry.
They make it official, and U finally learns North’s full name. He’s thrilled with the family he’s married into, since he was specifically looking for a rich boyfriend.
Tim struggles to obey his sticky rules
He bathes alone, reminding himself not to fall in love with the target. But the target gets in the tub with him. Those two key stickies fall off as Tim goes in for the kiss.
But the show has only just started. The stickies go back up, and Tim introduces his (Fake) Mom to ask the family officially for Pai’s hand in marriage. Grandpa is thrilled. Aunt is pouting. There’s a lot of fish collar sharing.
Later, Fake Mom wonders if Tim shouldn’t just settle down with Pai. But Tim thinks if his cover were ever blown, the family would destroy him.
Later, he lies to Tim that he’s still at the airport while sitting at a bus stop with a lawyer friend. Then he meets with another target, an older woman who thinks the money she spends on Tim means she gets to sleep with him. Tim seems reluctant.
Pai is upset about North’s failing bakery
And even more upset when a confused North reveals his surprise marriage.
U is at home, hiding the cash from the dowry check when North calls because it’s time to meet the family. Well, Pai, Tim, and Pai’s secretary.
Pai demands they divorce. North can’t explain why they married, so U explains the romantic night they spent together. Tim reminds Pai that the rest of the family can’t find out yet. They need to handle it themselves.
But Tim steals U’s wallet, and reveals to the other scammer that he knows something up. At the same time, this reveals Tim is the kind of guy who can steal wallets.
North’s moves U into his place, and realizes he’s a stranger
U would like to get to know North with a kiss. North wants to go on a date.
So U has them play pickleball! An exhausted North had fun, but doesn’t feel like he got to know U. But U figured a lot out about North from how he played, because his mom taught him how to read people.
North believes U has a good, loving family. Not like North’s. U’s expression says something else. But North wants to meet U’s Mom.
U’s (Fake) Mom is Tim’s (Fake) Mom. While showing North his (Fake) Place, North sees a picture of U with a cute knockoff doll that his mom bought by accident.
Then U’s (Real) Mom, another con artist fresh from prison, shows up at the door, and they quickly call her Aunt. In the kitchen, she tells U she just wanted to meet his husband. She apologizes for being a poor mother.
The family fortune teller has warnings for Pai
People want to take advantage of him! Pai is certain this refers to U.
The fortune teller takes a nervous Tim’s hand and declares they are soulmates who find each other in every lifetime. But in this lifetime, they will face a great hurdle and will overcome it or part forever.
Pai is confused because they haven’t even fought once. He won’t wait 4 months to marry either, it’s too busy, but he has 3 days free next month. Aunt implies that it’s the fortune teller, not Pai’s hard work, that made the family rich.
At home, Tim helps Pai relax by putting on music and cooking for him.
U takes Real Mom to his place and offers to take care of her. They talk about how the knock-off doll was something he bought for himself, using a receipt she gave him to exchange for credit. When he got home, she was gone.
She apologizes, but while he’s showering, she finds the hidden cash, takes it, and leaves.
(Fake) Mom gives U (Real) Comfort
She promises there are good people out there who would never hurt anyone. U thinks about North. Fake Mom tells him this is why she set up the rule to never fall for your target.
U returns to North’s, where North fails miserably to hide a present. It’s the real version of the knock-off doll. He got it as an apology to U for how his family treated him.
Thanks to his lawyer friend, Tim finds U’s (Fake) Place and confronts U. Both know the other is a scammer. They agree to watch out for each other, but they don’t trust each other.
Immediately, Tim warns U that Pai is sending bugged gifts to North
U tries to gently lead North to discover the bug. It takes a minute, but he gets there. And he’s furious.
The cousins fight. North thinks Pai only protects him because of duty, and his life would be better without Pai. Pai is stunned into silence.
North storms off, but U finds him adorable. He thinks Pai must have raised North well.
Tim asks North to apologize to Pai, who truly cares about North and is so upset that he won’t eat. As North runs back, U accuses Tim of truly caring, but he denies it.
North and Pai cry in each other’s arms, while the scammers watch. But Pai still won’t acknowledge U when they leave.
Pai is surprised that Tim only told North that Pai was sad. Then there’s flirting and running around the living room and wrestling!
The story is moving fast and has good details
We already have a marriage and an engagement! And besides the water and stickies, we have other nice moments of symbolism and foreshadowing.
U couldn’t hide anything from his Real Mom, who didn’t even give him the knock-off gift. North also couldn’t hide his gift from U., but his gift is The Real Thing. Yes, the doll symbolizes love.
Both con men put something under their target’s heads so it’s not directly on the hard ground. I’m hoping to see these protective instincts play out in bigger ways.
The show has me hooked by the characters enough that I’m already bracing for the inevitable heartbreak and fallout. Despite that, I love seeing the breaks in Tim’s-too-nice-scammer facade. When he looks serious, worried, and just a little cold. I can’t wait to get to know the real Tim. Also, for Pai to get to know the real Tim.
Right now, my prediction is that the fortune teller will be right, and the REAL marriage between Tim and Pai, after the break-up and fallout, will be in 4 months.
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