Ready for an entertaining romp through Joseon era matchmaking? The historical romcom, The Matchmakers, stars Rowoon (The King’s Affection, Destined with You) as nerdy Prince Shim Jung-woo, a man thrust into widowerhood when his Princess died on their wedding day. To obtain his request for an annulment, he is ordered by the King to find speedy matches for the Maeng sisters, three old maids who have spurned marriage. His matchmaking partner for this enterprise is Jung Soon-doek (Cho Yi-Hyun of My Country: The New Age), a widow from a powerful family who disguises herself as matchmaker Yeo Joo-daek.
As Jung-woo and Soon-doek work together to makes matches, they begin to develop their own feelings toward each other. The problem is, neither is allowed to remarry. With politics and intrigue clouding their matchmaking endeavors, will they succeed in matching the old maids and – along the way find their own path to happiness?
- Series Title: The Matchmakers (Korean: 혼례대첩)
- Starring: Rowoon, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Ji-young, Heo Nam-jun
- Written by: Ha Soo-jin
- Directed by: Hwang Seung-gi, Kim Soo-jin
- Network: KBS2
- Where to watch in the US: Viki
- Premier Date: October 30, 2023
- # of episodes: 16
- KafeNook Rating: 4.2
The Matchmakers — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
Watching The Matchmakers, I am reminded of my favorite matchmaking drama of all time, Fiddler on the Roof. As a teen, I first saw the musical at the university theater in my hometown and fell in love with the story and beautiful music. Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, is set on marrying his three, oldest daughters. To do this, he enlists the help of Yente, the village matchmaker. The story pits Tevye’s plans to obtain good matches for each of his daughters with their strong-headed desire to marry for love. Filled with incredible songs like Sunrise/Sunset, If I Were a Rich Man, Do You Love Me, Sabath Prayer, and, of course, Matchmaker, Matchmaker, it’s no wonder the musical is the recipient of multiple Tony awards.
Like Fiddler on the Roof, The Matchmakers tackles the heart of the matchmaking question – what makes a good match? To be successful, is it required for the pair to be “fated”? Or can two people find happiness even when they are not each other’s fated one? Prince Jung-woo is a rare Ssangyeonsulsa, a matchmaker of legend who exhibits mysterious heart palpitations when he sees two fated people together. Widow Soon-doek may not have a physical reaction to a “fated” match like Jung-woo, but she knows a good match when she sees one. Together, they are the perfect matchmaking pair. Between his chest pain and her clever tricks, their matchmaking high jinks make this a fun drama to watch.
Since The Matchmakers is a drama about, well, matchmaking, what better way to discuss the show than to rank the matched couples?
Match #8: Crown Prince Lee Jae and Old Maid Maeng Ha-na
Individually, the young Crown Prince (Hong Dong-young) and the eldest Maeng sister, Ha-na (Jung Shin-hey), are great characters. Even together they have a nice student/mentee type of relationship. It’s the ten-year age difference (and the fact that he is only 14) that makes it hard to see them as a couple, even if they are fated. Maybe in 5 or 6 years, things will blossom between them but until then, it’s a waiting game until Lee Jae grows up.
Match #7: Farmer Yoon Bu-gyeom and Best Bride Material Jo Ye-jin
Soon-deok’s sister-in-law, Jo Ye-jin (Oh Ye-ju), spends a lot of the time drinking and pining for the person she can’t have – perpetually sad farmer Bu-gyeom. Neither character is very interesting individually but together they finally click. Ye-jin becomes more animated while in Bu-gyeom’s company. He, in turn, steps up his game when given a chance to be her husband. He is willing to become the person Ye-jin’s family wants him to be if that means he can be with her. They also make a cute family with nephew Geun-seok.
Match #6: Sargent Ahn Dong-gun and Yeo Joo-daek
From the moment sargent turned runaway-slave-hunter Ahn Dong-gun (Kim Dong-ho) strikes up a conversation with little Bok-hee (Lee Ye-ju), it’s apparent he will be a great dad. Even better, he already has a thing for Bok-hee’s mom, the merchant Yeo Joo-daek (Park Hwan-hee). Jung-woo argues that these two are not fated to be together because his heart doesn’t overreact when he sees them but Soon-deok knows a person can still love someone who is not their fated one. (It’s a lesson Jung-woo should already know.) Add in the intimate wedding ceremony and this small family is heartwarming.
Match #5: Soon-deok and First Husband, Jo In-guk
There are only a few scenes, all shown in flashback, between Soon-deok and her first husband, Jo In-guk (Yoon Yeo-won) but it’s clear that they truly loved each other. Each time Soon-deok thinks of her first husband, the sorrow in her beautiful eyes is palpable. She believes she can never experience a love like that again. When she feels guilty for developing feelings for Jung-woo, he’s the one to tell her it’s okay to always love her husband – her first love.
Match #4: Best Groom material Lee Si-yeol and Seamstress Maeng Doo-ri
Jung-woo is the first person to recognize the connection between best groom material, aka mama’s boy, Lee Si-yeol (Son Sang-yeon) and the middle Maeng daughter, fowl-mouthed Doo-ri (Park Ji-won). The road for this couple is a bit complicated since they are matched to other people. Right up to the wedding, it looks like this fated pair is not to be. Then the great bride/bridegroom wedding switch-a-roo occurs and ola’ – they are married.
The best scene between the two of them occurs in the bridal suite after the wedding ceremony. Doo-ri stubbornly wants to know how Si-yeol ended up as her bridegroom. At the same time, he is tries get her to accept the situation for the opportunity it is. Explanation to follow. Then a cog in her brain clicks into place and she pushes him down just as the door opens. The string of curses out of her mouth at the intrusion would make anyone blush. His family is also happy with the match. Being related to the Crown Princes’ family is a lot better than being tied to the family of the Left State Minister.
Match #3: Jung-woo and His Princess
This one caught came as a surprise. Initially, it appears Jung-woo is an unlucky guy who is forced to marry the Princess to improve his family’s standings. Then – Jung-woo admits to Soon-deok, that not only did he love the Princess but it was love at first sight. With this revelation, everything he has tried to do since the Princess’s death – find out who killed her and get a divorce so that he can serve in the government – makes sense. On her deathbed, she begs him to divorce her so that he will obtain a high-ranking government position in order to best serve the country. The fact that Jung-woo loved his Princess makes him all the more lovable.
Match #2: The Inspector and the Novelist
Inspector Jung Soon-gu, Soon-doek’s brother, and old maid Maeng Sam-soon, aka novelist Hwa Rok, share sparks the moment they meet. Being the imaginative writer she is, Sam-soon promptly dreams up a scene between her and Soon-gu where she is the disguised maiden running from her pursuers and he is the man who suddenly comes to her aid. Good thing she is wearing battle armor both then and later on their wedding night. The look on Soon-gu’s face when she reveals her battle armor is priceless. Even better is the look on Sam-soon’s face when Soon-gu shields her from the mayor’s prying eyes while throwing a chopstick at the man’s face. That is one talented inspector. He’s also a good husband, willing to do anything to help her when she has writer’s block (me, clearing my throat) even if it is the middle of the day.
Match #1: Prince Jung-woo and Widow Soon-deok
It should come as no surprise that Jung-woo and Soon-deok are the number one match of the show. Rowoon is delightful as nerdy Prince Shim Jung-woo. While Jung-woo will not win a sword fight anytime soon, he does share a few similarities with Rowoon’s The King’s Affection character: intelligence, good looks, and commitment to the person he loves. (Not to mention the fact that Rowoon looks fabulous in period costumes.) He falls for Soon-deok, disguised as Yeo Joo-daek, the moment he sees her. He is the only one to recognize her no matter what she looks like.
Initially, Soon-deok feels little attraction to know-it-all Jung-woo who is nothing like her gentle deceased husband. The more she gets to know him, however, the more she sees the depth of his heart – especially after his confession about his Princess. To protect one another, they each try to give the other up. But these two matchmakers are built for love and their feelings for each win out over any obstacle they face. Committed to completing the love matches under their charge, they lose the opportunity to run away together. Then, any happiness they might have is threatened when Soon-doek’s mother-in-law, furious with them for ruining her plans, attempts to destroy them both.
Honorable Mentions
The tragic love of Jo In-hyeon, the deceased eldest son of the Left State Councilor, and his monk, Mae Gol-seung.
Butler Kim Oh-bong and his unnamed new wife. Butler Kim makes several references to his newlywed status that bring about several hilarious moments. Jung-woo doesn’t know what to make of newlywed Oh-bong’s comment about not getting enough sleep. The prince clearly doesn’t know why a newlywed has this problem.
Soon-deok’s son, Jo Geun-seok, and Yeoju-deak’s daughter, Bok-hee, have a little exchange at the big wedding. If Ssangyeonsulsa Jung-woo had been standing there, I’m certain his heart would race at the sight of these two little cuties.
What is Love Without War?
While much of The Matchmakers is lighthearted entertainment, as a Joseon era drama it would not be complete without plotting and intrigue. Soon-doek’s in-laws, the Left State Councilor Jo Yeong-bae (Bloodhound’s Lee Hae-young) and his wife, Lady Park So-hyeon (Park Ji-young of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo), scheme to increase their family’s power. Both are ruthless but in different ways. In an impulsive act of fury, the Left State Councilor killed his own son for the crime of loving another man.
Lady Park, on the other hand is a student of The Art of War. Devastated to learn how her oldest son died, she uses her cold, calculating mind to orchestrate the deaths of her husband and brother. Her rational may be to save her family, but her methods leave Soon-doek questioning everything she knows about her mother-in-law. Once Lady Park targets Jung-woo and Soon-doek, the fate of the two lovers hangs in the balance.
The Matchmakers Ending
The showrunners did a great job of building up the suspense to the ending of The Matchmakers. The last several episodes focus on the big wedding and the machinations of Lady Park. Then the previews for the final episode implied dire things for Jung-woo and Soon-deok. Airing on Christmas Day 2023, the episode contained a nice present – an ending for our matchmakers where they can be together. Big surprise – it would never have happened without Lady Park.
In retribution for messing up her daughter’s wedding, Lady Park traps Jung-woo and Soon-doek in a room together. She accuses Jung-woo of forcing himself on Soon-doek and he is taken to prison as a result. Afraid of what Lady Park will do to Soon-doek, Jung-woo claims to be guilty of the crime, though the King suspects differently. Lady Park meets with Soon-doek and informs her daughter-in-law that Jung-woo will die by poison. She encourages Soon-doek to join him in death by taking her own life. All seems lost.
Then, in a Christmas miracle – Jung-woo survives the poison! (Thanks to the King ordering a lower dosage and tasking royal physician to save him). Soon-doek informs her mother-in-law that she will not kill herself and instead cuts a deal. By faking her death, Lady Park will receive the Widow’s compensation/honor – and Soon-doek can go on to live a new life. When Jung-woo finally wakes up, he is told what everyone else believes – that Soon-doek is dead. With a heavy heart, he takes the new identity the King offers him, along with a new purpose in life – to go out and make matches of old maids and bachelors throughout the eight provinces. Oh- and a matchmaker partner has already been lined up for him.
When he sees Soon-deok alive, he believes he is dreaming. Then reality sets in and the two of them, with brand new identifies, are now free to be together. (Hooray!! I can breathe again.) Before they head out, Jung-woo asks Soon-doek to marry him. Soon-doek says she’s not ready to marry him (and suddenly, I feel like I’m watching Doom at Your Service again where Dong-kyung keeps putting off Doom’s proposals of marriage). She would like a courtship instead. (No final kiss? Ba humbug.) Plus side – maybe this sets up things for a season 2?
The Matchmakers Soundtrack
The Matchmakers features a number of great original vocal songs starting with Half of My Heart sung by Theo. I also like Um Taemin singing Love Signal and Say I Love You with vocals by Inseong. My favorite instrumental song is the caper-esque K-Beauty.
