The Matchmakers (2023) K Drama Episode 12

Dec 12, 2023

Episode 12 of The Matchmakers begins with Soon-deok guessing that the boy with Ha-na is the Crown Prince. She asks about Jung-woo’s marriage and he says it was love at first sight for them. As for Doo-ri, they realise that Jung-woo’s first pick, Bachelor 16 already likes her.

Elsewhere, So-hyun finds out that Jo and Yeoju are looking for Socheon and decides to confront her. Soon-deok and Jung-woo hang around Yeoju’s place and she reveals it is her childhood home. They bond over their humble backgrounds but at that moment, So-hyun arrives. She runs into the real Yeoju and realises that she is not the one working with Jung-woo.

Meanwhile, Soon-deok and Jung-woo run away and he accompanies her home. He says it is his way of getting over her but ends up researching how to marry a noble widow. He runs into the lovestruck Crown Prince and assures him that he and Ha-na are meant to be, so he will help him.

At home, Soon-deok is told to accompany So-hyun to meet her sister in two days. Jung-woo too has to go to the palace to tell the King about the Ming interpreter/poison seller on that day. As for Ye-jin, she says she cannot throw a fit and marry for love because she is the only child left. Soon-deok cries over her maturity and decides to quit to protect the Jos’ dignity. She tries to tell Jung-woo but he makes an excuse and runs off when he realises what she is trying to do.

On D-Day, Jung-woo tells the King all about the Jos, In-hyun and the Ming interpreter. The letters Socheon found mentioned the poison, and In-hyun realised it would be used to kill the Prince. Since the Jos could not risk their plan failing, they just killed the princess and bided their time. Elsewhere, Park Bok-ki suggests killing Jung-woo as he starts suspecting him and Jo agrees.

In the Royal Consort’s quarters, Soon-deok wonders why So-hyun asked her sister to help her with the record of In-hyun’s death. So-hyun likes Soon-deok as she is the only one who doesn’t fear her. She ends up telling her of wanting to dig into In-hyun’s death. They run into Jung-woo and he realises that Soon-deok is a Jo and will be killed if the King arrests the Jos for treason.

He runs to Soon-gu for help. Since the King worries for Prince Jin-sung, Park’s nephew, he may go easy on the rest of the family if he finds cause only to arrest Park and Jo. As they brainstorm, Soon-gu tells Jung-woo to stop seeing Soon-deok even if he loves her. After asking around in Hanyang, the bounty hunter reveals that Jo killed In-hyun’s wife, Lady Yoo who had witnessed the murder and staged it as a suicide. Her son is Geun-seok, Soon-deok’s adoptive son.

Meanwhile, Soon-deok comes clean to So-hyun about Yeoju and In-hyun’s death. A heartbroken So-hyun grounds her for lying to her. As for the investigation, Jung-woo tells the King to arrest Park for Lee Cho-ok’s murder and Jo for Lady Yoo’s murder after they find witnesses for both.

At home, Soon-deok keeps seeing Jung-woo everywhere as she prepares for a feast. However, she learns that Park and his secretary will kill Jung-woo with the feast as their alibi. She runs and reaches Jung-woo just in time and they hide. While searching for him, Park gets distracted by his investigation board. As they leave, Park finds Jung-woo’s painting of Soon-deok.

Alone, Jung-woo hugs Soon-deok as she tears up and says she is worried. She says she can never forget him and as he smiles knowingly, she kisses him at the end of The Matchmakers Episode 12.

The Episode Review

The Matchmakers Episode 12 is finally tying all the pieces together and unravelling the mystery. We are almost towards the end of the investigation and all those involved are being drawn even closer together. It seems that So-hyun will side with our faves as well when she learns that Jo tried to silence Jung-woo for exposing the truth of their son’s death.

All that is well and good but there is a slight hitch. We were promised a fun and lighthearted rom-com about opposites being attracted as they matchmake unlikely candidates. But that seems to be forgotten for the sake of the mystery. We need more of Operation Maeng and the three sisters, Ye-jin and Bu-kyum, and Yeoju and the bounty hunter!