The Atypical Family ending explained: Did Gwi-ju survive the fire?

The ending of The Atypical Family had everyone on edge, with fans wondering if Gwi-ju would die — as per his mother’s premonition — to save Da-hae in the past.

Da-hae and Gwi-ju’s love story is much more complicated than anyone anticipated. The Atypical Family proved that Gwi-ju was the one who saved Da-hae as a teenager and started a time loop that connected their fates.

As fans know, Gwi-ju can only interact with past happy memories involving Da-hae. He realizes to get to his present, he has to go back in time to ensure certain events take place with Da-hae involved.

But in Episode 12, Gwi-ju’s fate becomes grim when his mother has a dream he will die saving Da-hae. Warning: spoilers ahead!

Does Gwi-ju die in the fire in The Atypical Family?

Yes and no: Gwi-ju goes back in time to the moment In-a was born and the school fire to save Da-hae, but “dies” in the past with his present body disappearing. But the finale brings him back, thanks to his son.

Gwi-ju’s mother’s premonition of his death does come true. Gwi-ju has already begun to realize that his powers have changed and can now get hurt in the past. At In-a’s school recital, Da-hae realizes he’s wearing the same clothes she remembers from the day she was saved from the fire.

But chaos ensues when Dong-hee’s troublesome ex accidentally starts a fire in one of the storage rooms. The fires quickly spread with In-a trapped backstage.

Da-hae manages to find In-a and protect her just as Gwi-ju also arrives to save them. He soon realizes that the only way for his daughter and Da-hae to survive in their current time is by ensuring Da-hae lives in the past.

Gwi-ju uses his powers and his current body disappears as he goes to the one key moment of his life: the day In-a was born was the day of Da-hae’s school fire, and the day he lost his friend.

This time, his powers have reached their full capacity and can be seen by everyone — and they can change the past. He finds Da-hae trapped in the school, gives her his ring, and tells her about what will happen in her future.

It’s assumed that because Gwi-ju can now be hurt in the past, he dies in the fire and is unable to return to his present timeline. He’s presumed dead and one of the missing in In-a’s school fire.

Gwi-ju returns from the past in the K-drama ending

Life goes on after the school fire with the Bok family mourning Gwi-ju’s death. All the while, they had already been prepared for his death thanks to the premonition.

It’s revealed that there was a time jump of five years with Da-hae having Gwi-ju’s son named Bok Nu-ri. While preparing for dinner, Gwi-ju’s mother tells them to set another plate because she saw an extra one in her dream.

Da-hae is putting away her son’s clothes when he appears with the orange ball he lost. He says he “brought it from yesterday” and no longer knows what the past is.

Da-hae realizes her son has inherited his own powers and is able to go back in time to retrieve items. She shows him a photo of Gwi-ju and asks if he can bring his father back.

As she’s getting ready to leave, she feels a presence behind her. Standing in the room is Gwi-ju holding his son’s hand. The Atypical Family has a heartwarming ending with a family reunion.

The Atypical Family is available to stream on Netflix. You can catch up on the ending explainer for Hierarchy, what happened in The 8 Show, and Netflix’s 2024 lineup.