Kathryn_51

Wow, @Tia - that was a lot! And I agree with 90% (my bias has always been with BTS rather than sang-ah) and since we both gave it 9⭐ (altho for slightly - but not significant- reasons) I can only say. . . . We Watched The Same Drama, lol. It's been fun. 😊

Second season??? I dunno - I would only watch if they would mix-up the dynamics. Team BTS/Sang-ah against the world? maybe?? One reason I enjoyed Ep. 10 is because the main couple was using their brains, their gut, facts/truth. However, "intellectual" thriller doesn't seem to be in this writer/director's wheelhouse.

Ratings for final episode? Pretty good. 3.920% (natio ) 4.000% (Seoul)

"this was a “love story” more real and substantial than most romcoms."

Yes! Love comes in many forms. For me - the fact that Sang-ah finally acknowledged the importance of BTS in her life redeemed her in my eyes. I honestly don't want a Season 2 because writer/director would likely believe they need to wash/rinse/repeat the same plot. NO! They are a team. Bend it, twist it, but keep it.

Hey, @Tia and @JoyceTyler! I loved the final dénouement/resolution. I enjoyed the roller coaster. But there were definitely parts that I hated (humiliation on steroids). I still need to gather my thoughts on the entire package but the partnership/comradeship at the end helped absolve much (but not ALL) of the prior garbage. I think my bias towards BTS (rather than Sang-ah) was a big part of it.

Noone was buried. The Shaman Moon told him he had to drive the stakes into the heart and ?? of a dead person to cut off some sort of dirty ancestry bloodline or something equally trashy. Maybe Koreans would understand, but I did not.

I speculated weeks ago that Sang-ah was a drug addict – not just the pills, but there were subtle signs all along – the lacquer box on her dressing room table, walking in bare feet outside the home (implying being in a haze, not sure where she was).

The twin brother finally appears – so there WAS a reason for creating a twin brother, but it was for a possible 2nd season?? The only plus would be to see Oh Jung Se in a complete role reversal.

The Chairman miraculously lives? That’s stupid and a throw-away plot just to tease a 2nd season.

Yang-mi out of prison for a “special pardon” is a bummer. One season of her (and I like Cha Joo-young) was enough.

I LOVED the ending - probably because my prediction(s) came true, but in the best way possible. ❤️❤️❤️. Bang Tae-seop is still my favorite.

Ju Ji-hoon and Ha Ji-won said that the "climax" to the drama was the very last scene and they were right.

Wish I could give the drama 10⭐but the multiple scenes of shocking humiliation detracted from the overall plot/story of the main couple. Some spoilers below that seem to suggest a possible Season 2, but I don't want one. It's perfect as is.

Thanks for sharing. I gave "Perfect Crown" a try and it's a rather bland "contract" romance. This one look much more fun and Im Ji Jeon acts circles around her peers.

Dialogue is auto translated, so may be different in the Viki version.

BTS: You’ve done a good job. It was a good movie. Congratulations on going to a film festival.
SA: Thanks to you.
[mumble-jumble about “the next one” – might refer to the project that Sang-ah was proposing in the preview?]
BTS: I’m going into the secretary’s office at the camp of Koo In-won. The presidential election is just around the corner, so you’ll be busier.
SA: Okay. I got your back.
[SA’s manager] Noona, we have to go now.
SA: Thank you for coming today. Take care.
BTS [stops her]: I have something to discuss with you. [END]

Sneak Peek for the Last Episode - Tae-seop and Sang-ah "in an awkward conversation". It appears to be a few months in the future after release of her film. It's rather spoilerish, so the auto-translated dialogue is below.

https://x.com/Channel_ENA/status/2043841666180616492

Thus far, I'm not getting much "comedy" out of this one. I finally gave up on Joseon "rom-coms" because although the rom was there with occasional funny moments, the violence/blood overtook the narrative. I fear the same here, but I'll watch until if/when that happens.

Yeah, but some of us are called misogynist for noticing these things - actual rape/sex w/out consent vs. attempt to kiss and backing off when consent is not given.

My list of bad continuity in this drama is very, very long but today - in what was supposed to be a touching scene with Jeong-won in her apartment, all I could think of was. . . . . what happened to the fish??

Just another example of the writer/director's "I don't give an ef about the story or the plot or the viewers; this is my little sandbox and I can erase the past whenever I wish."

I'm enjoying the roller coaster in the overall plot, but writer/director is overly fond of creating shock for the sake of shock than finding more creative ways of demonstrating manipulation and humiliation and for that reason, I'll be down-grading my rating.

The acting is incredible, but I think it's all a product of the actors themselves - I don't think the writer/director had anything to do with it.

So, desperation for power, money, status - we get that. We Get That It Is the overall theme but constantly hitting the viewer with a sledgehammer of shock while leaving ZERO humanity in the characters is not entertaining.

From the beginning, Yang-mi's hatred of Sang-ah was very clear and according to Yang-mi, it had existed for quite some time. So, for her to say that it was BTS all along doesn't make sense. But she's had the hots for him since Episode 2 and was upset that he never responded. Or, instead, responded in protective mode for Sang-ah, which made her jealous?

The facts as we know them would all point to Yang-mi's jealousy of Sang-ah's prior relationship with the Chairman - but the writer has never put those thoughts/words into Yang-mi's voice so viewer is left to go "huh???".

Predictions anyone?

Mine hasn't changed from the beginning: Bang Tae-seop and Sang-ah are still "partners" in the end. But I have a slight amendment - I think they are stuck with each other because BTS knows that Sang-ah was the one who initially stabbed Oh Gwang-jae. Just a crazy theory, but it fits with certain scenes.

Yang-mi loses her inheritance, but Madam Lee will return.

Jeong-won? I don't know but I kinda think she will try to divide and conquer (the main couple) but loses Sang-ah. Her future? - good, bad or dead, I don't care.

Kwon Jung-uk? His gay life is publicly revealed and his twin brother returns from wherever to take over WR group. Or, actually better theory: BTS threatens to reveal that he's gay (not to mention reveal all of the old files) and demands Kwon make him a VP of WR group.

Since the voice over says "What you are about to do is kill the dead a second time. But once you see this through, you'll rise to the top. . ." I thought it had something to do with Oh Gwang-jae. But that's primarily because I think Sang-ah was the first person to stab OGJ. However, as the above list demonstrates, the voice overs are frequently related to the scene we are watching.

There was a special provision in the Chairman's will and it said something like heirs would lose their inheritance if they leaked information that damaged the WR group. Because of the clause, Yang-mi backed off whatever her plans were against the Kwon son (I think? hard to keep all of the plots/counter-plots straight). Anyway that's what I was referring to -- it might still come into play assuming the Chairman soon dies.

At one time, I said that I hoped Yang-mi met her end at the end of the Doberman's mouth. 😂 But although she may not rule over WR group in the end, I'm hard-pressed to see how she can lose everything unless she loses the inheritance because she "leaks confidential info" to the media.

Such is life on MDL when a controversial drama airs. 😒😒