TTR - The Truth Review

It is rare to see a show change its main character as quickly and drastically as this one. In the beginning, the female lead was introduced as a refreshing change of pace. She was a shrewd, calculating and genuinely a strong woman. By episode 9, however, that writing seems to have been discarded. She has devolved into an immature brat who spends her time being lovestruck, not even over the actual ML, but over his adopted nephew, a character who acts like a total closed book. Watching a once-promising, intelligent woman turn into a regressive character over a secondary figure can be quite frustrating. The rest of the show does very little to save itself from this writing. While the actual ML is depicted as properly ruthless and competent when dealing with his enemies, the domestic scenes surrounding the FL are difficult to sit through. It is a shame, because the toxic family dynamic itself is likely historically accurate for an abandoned legitimate daughter. The villa is entirely run by the scheming concubine and her wicked daughter, while the female lead's biological mother, who is supposed to be the matriarch, is portrayed as a weak and useless parent who refuses to step up. Ultimately, A Splendid Match is a massive disappointment that can lead to irritation. What started as a promising historical drama with a smart heroine has transitioned into a frustrating, immature mess that may not be worth finishing.

Episodes 10–21 gets marginally better than the absolute bin fire of the first nine episodes, but it is still plagued by major problems. While the plot moves away from the FLs initial infatuation, it replaces it with lazy writing, a complete lack of logic and infuriating character dynamics. The 2ML is a difficult character who completely tanks any potential for second-lead syndrome. Despite a decent appearance, the Marquis’s son is a short-sighted individual who cannot see the bigger picture. The ML is desperately trying to save this man's family from ruin, yet the Marquis always accuses him of being petty and holding grudges, completely blind to the fact that he is the one acting in an immature and petty. Least we forget the fact that early on he actually whipped the FL because he was having one of his petulant tantrums because she was giving him some home truths. Very frustrating.
The romance completely stalls out because the female lead has devolved into a bit of an irritating character. The script cuts ridiculous corners, suddenly turning her into an expert archer out of nowhere just to suit the plot. When the ML behaves like a proper adult by confessing his love and proposing, she flat-out rejects him due to baggage over her dead mother, dragging their dynamic into a childish standstill. To top it all off, the show suffers from severe narrative amnesia regarding its core villains. The half-sister and father, whose cruel crimes defined the start of the series, are suddenly treated like background characters and completely sidelined. Instead of giving any satisfaction by punishing them for their past crimes, the script forces us to focus entirely on the father’s extended family and their wicked schemes, turning the show into a frustrating political slog.

Nb. During the first half of this show there are a couple of moments particularly after episode 10 they’re actually quite nice especially between the ML and FL but they are so few and far between that I lose sight of them and almost forget them because of the frustrating elements.