When the Phone Rings

A Series Nearly Ruined By the Final Episode!

If I was to compare this series to a 400m track race, I’d say that it got off to an explosive start. It then showed a bit of a loss in pace, got back on track, and then with only 50 meters left, it crashed to the ground and had to crawl across the finish line.

I have been watching TV shows and movies for over 50 years. Perhaps there is nothing so frustrating than investing in a series that drops the ball just before the goal line. As a novelist, I know how challenging it can be to come up with a viable ending to a story. It’s absolutely criminal to come with an ending so silly and contrived that it virtually destroys the entire story.

Baek Sa Eon and Hong Hui Ju are married. Nothing is at it seems as the marriage is only for show. Baek Sa Eon treats her as though she were an intruder in his house rather than as a wife. He’s short and temperamental with her. And it’s obvious that Hong Hui Ju would rather be anywhere else than with Baek Sa Eon. However, due to the family’s past and arrangement, Hong Hui Ju is like a piece of luggage that is passed on from one person to another. She has virtually no say in her life, which is pretty much literal as she’s unable to speak, or so we think.

Baek Sa Eon gets a strange phone call from someone threatening to kill Hong Hui Ju unless he complies with the kidnapper’s demands. He instantly refuses and even bates the kidnapper by telling him to “go ahead and kill her.” We quickly find out that Hong Hui Ju has set everything up herself with the hopes of forcing Baek Sa Eon to divorce her due to the unhappy state of their marriage.

As more of the story unfolds, we discover that Baek Sa Eon isn’t the real son of his family but a stand-in. His “family” has deep, dark secrets that he becomes unwittingly a part of. Hong Hui Ju’s family is no less corrupt as Baek Sa Eon’s father is running for president and needs the support and power of Hong Hui Ju’s family. Instead, Baek Sa Eon was put in place of the real Baek Sa Eon, who was a sadistic murderer even as a child. Baek Sa Eon’s grandfather chose to get rid of the boy rather than attempt to help or rehabilitate him.

Throughout most of the middle part of the series, Baek Sa Eon finds himself falling in love with Hong Hui Ju, or so we’re made to believe until we find out that he’s actually always liked her, despite his contradictory behavior in the first few episodes. Almost laughingly, we also find out that Hong Hui Ju also had feelings for Baek Sa Eon going back to their childhood.

Despite the story being put together a bit piecemeal, it’s the chemistry and obvious feelings between Baek Sa Eon and Hong Hui Ju that keeps the story afloat, thanks mostly to Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, two exceptional actors. I’ve seen Yoo Yeon Seok in several series, and the man’s a truly gifted performer. From “Mr. Sunshine” to “Hospital Playlist,” he showcases his diversity and his ability to get inside any character he plays. This is my first time watching Chae Soo Bin, and she is simply mesmerizing in how she brings true vulnerability to her character, making you wonder how and why Baek Sa Eon can treat Hong Hui Ju so badly.

As Baek Sa Eon learns more about his family’s history and what they’re plotting, the more determined he becomes to protect Hong Hui Ju as well as trying to rectify what’s happened to her. All of this is done as the real Baek Sa Eon attempts to destroy the imposter, typically by going through Hong Hui Ju, knowing that is where his true vulnerability lies. Never mind that Hong Hui Ju isn’t kidnapped once in this series, but twice! Going to the same “well” twice doesn’t quite work.

The series all but collapses in the final ten minutes of the 11th episode and into the final one as the writing becomes incredibly sloppy and asks the viewer for a lot of suspension of disbelief.

It appears that Baek Sa Eon is killed, although we quickly learn that it isn’t the case as Hong Hui Ju, recovering from her kidnapping, insists that he’s been at her bedside. However, Baek Sa Eon disappears for over six months, leaving poor Hong Hui Ju wondering where he is, what’s happened to him, and also wondering why he won’t contact her. Hong Hui Ju is going through a deep depression waiting for any information that will give her a clue as to where he is.

Finally, a clue comes through, and she finds herself traveling to some country halfway around the world in search of Baek Sa Eon. After nearly being killed by country rebels, Baek Sa Eon saves her and begins admonishing her for showing up. Really?! What did he expect her to do? I was a little surprised that Hong Hui Ju didn’t get angry with him, given his pathetic reasoning. Baek Sa Eon insists that he needed to punish himself for what his family had done to Hong Hui Ju. His logic is so backwards and ludicrous that it invites the obvious question: how does punishing Hong Hui Ju fit into his plans? Because that is exactly what he is doing by disappearing and going off the grid. Did he truly think that she wouldn’t do everything possible to try and find him? Did he never fully understand or realize how much Hong Hui Ju loves him?

Frankly, it made no sense, and it also makes Baek Sa Eon come off as a truly pathetic coward. I didn't feel sorry for him even when he was sniveling like a child. You want to make it up to Hong Hui Ju? Then love her and do your best to make her happy. Instead, he’s actually responsible for bringing her further pain and suffering. His actions are completely counterproductive. I can see Baek Sa Eon being upset and perhaps even overwhelmed by his family’s actions toward Hong Hui Ju, but I couldn’t see him taking it out on her. This is what happens when a writer makes the mistake of going against character for the sake of the plot.

This series would have benefited greatly had it only been ten episodes and avoid the absurd ending that we ultimately got. Even in the last scene, Baek Sa Eon is still terrible at letting Hong Hui Ju know where’s going, forcing her to worry and wonder why she can’t get ahold of him.

Too many inconsistencies and a terrible ending nearly ruined this series. Only the performances of the two leads kept me vested enough to wade through the last episode. A series with such promise and great performances deserved a competent writer who obviously didn’t know the characters as well as we do.

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Simply a must watch drama

I won't try to spoil anything but I'll say this. It's a crazy show. Don't expect it to make any sense but it has the ability to hook you and keep you wanting more and more. The acting is gold, the chemistry is overflowing, the music is awesome - especially Lim Hyunsik's See The Light ( got it playing on repeat) and the story? The story is bonkers but I love it all the same. Every bit of it. Can't get enough. Just wish Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin would be cast together in another project. So go ahead and watch the show and allow yourself to be swept away. But before that, shut down the logical part of your brain 😂. Happy watching.

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One of the best chemistry I've seen...

FL and ML for sure showed how it should be done. Natural, spicy and at the same time sweet chemistry was the whole point of the show.

Supporting actors were awesome. Just wished we've seen a bit more of second couple.

Last episode was a bit of a downhill in certain situations and events, but if you'll find it a bit boring or unnecessary, just fast forward those to sweet ending! One or two episodes shouldn't impact the other 10 for it to get a huge drop in your personal ranking.

I've seen worse melodramatic, overdone moments in other dramas for sure, and in this drama they were small and just funny to observe.

Every episode kept me on edge (I watched as it aired), so binge watching is certainly a way to go!

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i love it! just love it!

This story has enemies to lovers, he falls first and harder, contract marriage, childhood connection and what not!

PLOT:
Baek Sa Eon, Korea’s youngest presidential spokesman, and Hong Hui Ju, a sign language interpreter with mutism, have spent three years in a cold, convenient marriage. But when Hui Ju is kidnapped, their distant relationship takes an unexpected turn, forcing them to confront buried emotions.

REAL PLOT: YOO YEON SEOK!!!!! He serves through out the episodes. OMG how i wish to marry someone like him!


You NEED to watch this—it’s a masterpiece! The FL thinks the ML hates her and isn’t happy with their relationship, but plot twist: he’s been in love with her since they were kids and has been secretly protecting her all along. Her family is the worst, constantly using her, but he’s always there, defending her and loving her in ways she doesn’t even notice. I devoured every second of this, NO CAP. Stop wasting time—go watch it already!

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A good story, but way too much drama

The plot is interesting, but the execution fell short. The beginning was extremely slow and dragged on so much that I almost gave up. And honestly, it’s just tragedy after tragedy from start to finish. OMG, nothing ever goes right for anyone.

That final scene though… When he was face to face with that guy while sitting in the car, I kept thinking: “Just hit the gas! Run him over!” But no, they dragged it out forever. On top of that, all the guilt he felt for something his father did, he travels across the world only to not be with her, then she goes looking for him, gets captured, almost dies… More tragedy. It was too much and made no sense at times.

The romance, which I expected to be the strong point, completely fell flat. The chemistry between the couple was weak and felt forced, and that really disappointed me because I value the romance in a story.

Now, I have to highlight one positive thing: the song “See The Light”. Absolutely stunning! That song deserved an award. It was by far the best part of the entire experience for me.

Overall, I gave it a 5/10. Great concept, but poor execution and way too much unnecessary suffering that frustrates more than it moves you.

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Would have been a good thriller…

I love Yoo Yeon Seok, but this drama was just not it. It started really promising with this great thriller/suspense vibe and at first I quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately after only an episode and a half, the whole drama suddenly turned to a Wattpad cheesy awkward romance with zero logic. The story was so random, so crazy and so unbelievably stupid that I felt second hand embarrassment watching. And mind you, I didn’t even know about the whole drama surrounding this show, because I am not really on the internet all the time (And honestly, I guess I missed the controversial part, because I skipped through lots of boring dialogues and scenes lol).
On the other hand, the acting was great. Both leads are amazingly talented and have been in the industry for a long time. They did their best giving life to these boring, stupid and one dimensional characters. I would love to see them working together again, because their chemistry was on fire in this drama. Honestly, this was the only good thing about this show.

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When the Phone rings: a show that progressively got more disappointing as it went on

The good:
The Casting & Plot Twist
Chae Soo Bin as Hee Joo was perfect and Yoo Yeon Seok as Baek Sa Eon was also a good choice. The first two episodes were amazing, it really had you interested instantly which can be difficult for a lot of shows. The plot twist with Baek Sa Eon not actually being Baek Sa Eon and that linking to the orphanage was a good twist. One other thing that I sort of understood and liked was how he started to care for her after she almost died. I especially liked the scene at the beginning when he sees her safe and we see him visibly relax.

The Bad
Buckle up — this is going to be a lot.
Their Relationship (or Lack Thereof)
This had the potential to be a great romance, but instead, it was rushed, messy, and absolutely ridiculous. Let’s break it down.
First off, why was Sa Eon so cold and distant toward Hee Joo for three whole years if he actually wanted the marriage? He planned the whole bride swap and then acted like it was some massive inconvenience to him. At first, I genuinely thought he wanted the older sister and got stuck with Hee Joo by accident. Turns out, he actually wanted to marry her — but his reasoning for being cold was ridiculous. He was “scared to let her in and care for her.” WHAT? WHY? We’re given no real explanation beyond that. Some people theorize it’s because of his childhood trauma, but that doesn’t really make sense to me. He was supposed to be Sa Eon until death — there was no replacing him after that. It’s not like they could swap him out again! Plus she didn’t have the money to leave even if she wanted to. So what exactly was stopping him from treating Hee Joo like a human being?
What exactly was preventing him from just… being with her? It’s like they wanted to write a brooding, conflicted male lead but forgot to give him an actual reason to brood or be conflicted. Real Baek Sa Eon would’ve come after her regardless, no hesitation.
Speaking of which, Hee Joo getting over those three awful years in, like, two minutes was absurd. She spent all that time hating her life, feeling invisible, only for him to show up a couple of times, and suddenly, she’s completely over it? The deep, unconditional love she had for him was never earned, and frankly, he didn’t deserve it. We should’ve seen him work for her forgiveness, fight for their relationship, and prove himself. Instead, we got… what? One camp retreat? That was it? Very disappointing to say the least..

The Jealousy…?
This ties into the relationship issue, so let’s address it. Sa Eon had absolutely no reason to be jealous of Sang Woo or the co-worker from the camp retreat. Just because they liked her doesn’t mean she liked them. It was obvious Hee Joo didn’t feel anything for Sang Woo, so his jealousy just felt forced. Sang Woo was just a good guy who learned sign language to be a supportive friend. The co-worker? Literally just being polite. And yet, Sa Eon was throwing around attitude like he owned her. It felt like he was mad that Hee Joo had any kind of chemistry (even non-romantic) with other men because he hadn’t built any chemistry with her — which was entirely his fault. Let’s not forget that regardless if she had chemistry or not with the others, she’s MARRIED to HIM! His whole vibe was giving, “I don’t want her, but I don’t want anyone else to have her either,” which was beyond annoying.

The Sign Language Fail
The show completely dropped the ball on this. This could’ve been such a sweet way to develop their relationship, but no. Despite supposedly liking her for years, Sa Eon never bothered to learn sign language? If they wanted to sell this whole “he loved her all along” narrative, why not have him secretly learn sign language? Imagine how much more powerful it would’ve been if, during that moment at the British Event (in the first or second episode) when she was angrily signing at him for calling her his weakness, he actually understood her. He could’ve understood her frustration and grown from it. For example, if she’s sick of him leaving dirty dishes in the sink, she could sign her annoyance. The next day, the sink would be spotless, leaving her both confused and touched. Think about it!!

Sang Woo Married… Who Now?
Sang Woo marrying Yu Ri was a surprise — and not in a good way. There was zero romantic chemistry between them at any point in the show. When they worked on the case together, they acted like two buddies solving a mystery, not two people falling in love. What made it worse (and kind of funny) was that Sang Woo was still obviously into Hee Joo, and Yu Ri had always had a crush on Sa Eon. The engagement announcement was so awkward, I thought it was a joke. At the end, when they’re all invited to Hee Joo and Sa Eon’s new home, Sang Woo looks visibly jealous when Hee Joo and Sa Eon share a cute moment. Then, when he and Yu Ri hold hands, he seems shy and not exactly thrilled. Man really settled for the next available option. Tough break.

The Family Dynamics…?
Hee Joo must have superhuman levels of forgiveness because her mother put her through years of emotional trauma, and it’s just… fine? No big deal? Her mom literally forced her into silence, yet we never get a proper reconciliation or even a moment where Hee Joo decides to cut her off. Her mom was manipulative and rude to her throughout the whole show, and we only saw her caring when she thought Hee Joo was dead.
Also, what was her relationship with her stepdad like? They interact maybe once the entire show, and that’s it. Whenever something happens to Hee Joo, he doesn’t seem to care or be worried at all. Meanwhile, the older sister’s return felt pointless. She revealed some information to Hee Joo, but that could’ve been discovered in other ways. Her messing with Sa Eon’s parents during the cooking thing was just random. She didn’t add much to the story after her initial revelations.

The Last Episode Was a Whole Different Show
The final episode went so off the rails, I had to double-check if I was still watching the same drama.
First, Sa Eon sells all his stuff and disappears after hearing “bad” news from real Sa Eon. Then Hee Joo finds out he’s in a war-torn country (that doesn’t exist). So naturally, she flies there alone and immediately heads straight to the most dangerous part, because why not? Predictably, she gets captured and then in the most ridiculous plot twist ever, she’s randomly rescued by a group of good guys — and who else but Baek Sa Eon just happens to be among them? What are the odds! The whiplash from this storyline was insane. The plot was so lost that by the end, the title of the show didn’t even make sense anymore. It’s ‘When the Phone Rings’ until about episode 6, and then it’s a complete mess.
And let’s not forget why Sa Eon left in the first place. He was punishing himself. It was his father's fault certain things happened. And what was Sa Eon doing during all of this? Fishing. In the woods. With some random old man. But somehow, he feels guilty? Make it make sense.

Small Things That Annoyed Me
Hee Joo and Yu Ri’s Friendship: I never felt like they were actually friends. They barely spoke the entire show. When Yu Ri finds out Hee Joo can talk, she’s upset she was never told — but they weren’t even that close.
The Wattpad Vibes: This show felt like it was written for 13-year-old girls. While that might work in a Wattpad story, it doesn’t translate well to a show meant for older teens and adults. The story would’ve been so much better if it had been adapted for a more mature audience.
Park Do-Jae’s Survival: Park Do-Jae (the friend) surviving after being beaten, drowned, and stabbed in the span of a few hours was insane. Is he immortal?
Hee Joo on the Phone: Hee Joo talking to Sa Eon on the “406” phone dragged on forever. When she fell off the cliff, she was clearly in pain and out of breath — on the phone — and still didn’t think he’d notice? It was so obvious, and the whole thing felt unnecessarily drawn out.
Hee Joo’s Sudden Speech: After years of being mute, Hee Joo starts speaking, and no one really cares? Everyone was shocked but moved on so quickly. There were no real questions or explanations — it was just accepted and forgotten. Huh?

Final Points:
At the end of the day, When the Phone Rings had so much potential but got lost in its own chaos. From rushed relationships to a finale that felt like a different show, it’s a K-drama that could’ve been great but ended up being… well, a mess. Still, it gave us plenty to talk about — and sometimes, that’s half the fun. Would I recommend it? Maybe, but only if you’re ready for a wild ride (and a few facepalms along the way)!

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