KevinToronto

I agree that it does seem like a "storm" is about to hit. My take on the first 8 episodes or so is that they were intended to show a level of trust being built. Now, I think that the story behind the death of Yi Soo's mother will be front and centre, along with his family dynamics. Trust having been built, the team can help solve the case as a natural consequence of the trust in their new "team member".

I had to chuckle when I read this, especially as I had read this in The Guardian's review of Constellation last week, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/21/constellation-review-apple-science-fiction-series :
"(The prevalence of Apple products is almost funny: Jo uses an iPad to speak to Alice from space, and an Apple Watch to keep track of time during a particularly crucial activity. I’m surprised they didn’t call it the iSS.)"

The excessive drinking in the show continues to be a concern. Here is part of a post of mine from earlier in the week, as it is quite a long way down now. I am not trying to justify the programme's portrayal. I just want to provide a bit of background.

"Daily alcohol consumption increased from 8.37 g in 1998 to 14.98 g in 2016–2018 (p for trend < 0.001). The degree of the increasing trend was higher for women (2.09 g to 5.79 g) than men (14.78 g to 23.94 g) from 1998 to 2016–2018. Alcohol intake was highest in men aged 30–49 years and women aged 19–29 years. ... Lastly, the alcohol intake from soju and beer was dominant in alcohol consumption and escalated over time."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752144/#:~:text=Approximately%2050.8%25%20of%20men%20and,all%20alcohol%20consumption%20%5B2%5D.

"Approximately 50.8% of men and 26.9% of women reported binge drinking [consuming 7 or more standard drinks (7–8 g of pure alcohol) in 1 drinking session for men or 5 for women] in the past month [2]. In Korea, 20% of drinkers are binge or excessive drinkers, and are responsible for 66% of all alcohol consumption [2]."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752144/#:~:text=Approximately%2050.8%25%20of%20men%20and,all%20alcohol%20consumption%20%5B2%5D.

@Suzy Agreed. My point was that a doctor (and the information sheet with the contraindications) may say not to drink, but the patient will still do so regardless. Indeed, a doctor could say "you must not drink" and the patient ignores them.

Welcome to Samdal-ri has more crushed cans. :-)

Possibly to allow for a less rushed re-connection as Ha-Neul's issues are addressed. It is clear that her issues are more deeply seated and longer standing than just the pressures of being a doctor.

@Peral Harbor No worries at all. I was glad to have the opportunity to clarify my intent. It is always good to chat with people to discuss things because I always learn something that helps me better understand.

Fair and valid points. I sincerely hope that no one believes that it is a good idea the drink alcohol whilst taking antidepressants, because it is not. And I apologise to those who thought I was suggesting that it was okay.

The answer is yes to both. As is the case with many other Kdramas.

I am absolutely not saying that regular people can drink while on antidepressants. I have a background in pharmacology and am fully aware of the potential consequences of drug interactions.

Actually, I was trying to say that doctors are human and can experience the same issues as the average person. In earlier comments, there was criticism that doctors would know the dangers of mixing alcohol and antidepressants. I was pointing out that doctors have significant problems with alcoholism and depression, so it is not implausible for a doctor to ignore or disregard the medical advice they would give to their patients.

Thank you. I should clarify that my daughter's comment was in response to me talking about the programme. She is not suffering from depression or alcoholism. I mentioned her comment because she is in the profession and I thought people might be interested in "hearing" from someone in the profession.

I agree that the issue of mental health is an extremely sensitive subject, and must be treated with the utmost care. I am hoping that the second half of this series will examine the subject in greater detail and more sensitivity. I have speculated that the programme is deliberately divided into two parts, with the table death/legal issue dealt with first, and the mental health/depression issue dealt with second. In that scenario, Jeong-woo will now focus on helping Ha-Neul.

In all honesty, I am not certain that there will be a completely unbiased opinion. You might get people who offer a balance position. This is definitely not a programme for everyone. In part that is because of some of the subject matter. It does not shy away from the difficult subject of depression. Also, it seems to be taking the approach of focusing on the different issues facing the lead characters in two separate blocks (first ML and then FL), rather than the usual intermingling of the story lines over the whole series. Or, at least that is how I think it is going.

I do not think that you can separate the quality of the show from the lead actors. They make this a good programme, in my opinion.

My recommendation would be to start watching it (for more than 2 episodes) and decide if it is for you.

For the record, we all recognise that each of us has our own unique blend of likes and dislikes. That being said, you readily admit that you dropped the programme after just 2 episodes. But, you feel the need to write a dissertation-length treatise on what is wrong with those two episodes, and by extension, the series.

Then you write an additional comment with TRUST ME its [episode 1] LITTERED with SPOILERS!!!

And you justify all of this in the name of "free speech"!

Fine, you do not like it (verging on detesting it). That is your prerogative. However, why not just say that do not like it and have dropped it. Why not let other people start watching it and decided for themselves whether it is worth watching?

As for the comment about a "medically trained doctor" not recognising clinical depression, I would direct you to my comment from earlier this week where I quoted my daughter, who is fully qualified and practicing surgeon: "Doctors and surgeons [in Canada] have some of the highest levels of depression and alcoholism amongst the professions". Is it possible that doctors and physicians do not recognise the symptoms of diseases and conditions in areas that they do not deal with? I would say, yes.

I think that part of the problem is that the series is not progressing along the normal story lines. My experience with other programmes is that story lines are often shown "together", which makes a "first one, then the other" scenario an outlier and that might be problematic for some.

The first half focused on Jeong-woo's situation. I suspect/hope that the second half will focus on Ha Neul's situation and its resolution. Episode 8 marked a transition point, for me, at least. Perhaps the last episode will focus on the two of them moving on and starting to enjoy life together?

Safe to say that there are many of us who are hoping that SH was the ultimate culprit and that this results in her getting properly and fully punished.

Absolutely not. The show is secretly sneaking into your closet to get tips on how people in the real world dress. :-)

Apologies, I should have been a little clearer. I was referring to the fact that we are not seeing any scenes in her apartment, as I felt it was a drama "mechanism" to show Hyo Shim and Tae Ho discovering how to be themselves away from the poisonous families.

Perhaps, the newly announced 51 episode will end with the two of them creating their life together in that apartment (yes, I am a hopeless romantic).

No one will disagree with the comment about product placement and sponsorship (I never knew that Subway and Quiznos were so popular). That being said, alcohol consumption is an increasing part of Korean culture. Here are some quotes from two academic papers that I found on the U.S. NIH website:
"Daily alcohol consumption increased from 8.37 g in 1998 to 14.98 g in 2016–2018 (p for trend < 0.001). The degree of the increasing trend was higher for women (2.09 g to 5.79 g) than men (14.78 g to 23.94 g) from 1998 to 2016–2018. Alcohol intake was highest in men aged 30–49 years and women aged 19–29 years. ... Lastly, the alcohol intake from soju and beer was dominant in alcohol consumption and escalated over time."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752144/#:~:text=Approximately%2050.8%25%20of%20men%20and,all%20alcohol%20consumption%20%5B2%5D.

"Approximately 50.8% of men and 26.9% of women reported binge drinking [consuming 7 or more standard drinks (7–8 g of pure alcohol) in 1 drinking session for men or 5 for women] in the past month [2]. In Korea, 20% of drinkers are binge or excessive drinkers, and are responsible for 66% of all alcohol consumption [2]."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752144/#:~:text=Approximately%2050.8%25%20of%20men%20and,all%20alcohol%20consumption%20%5B2%5D.

So, I think that the writer and producers have done their research and are accurately reflecting the reality in Korea at the moment, even if it is a self-destructive reality.

I agree that the loss of her apartment is disappointing. Would it be too much to hope that it will actually be portrayed as the starting martial home. A symbolic sign that the two leads have moved on from their respective dysfunctional families?

@Kathryn_51 Can I say that I am pleased with the positive developments in Tae Min's character and story line. It would have been easy, and lazy, to have him remain aloof (or even become more antagonistic) towards Tae Ho. The increasing connection and trust between the brothers sets up an interesting dynamic regarding "nature vs nurture". I noted that SH stated she had raised him and that nurture was more important than nature.