TaliaToo

Makjang makjang!

I saw a spoiler about this. I can't confirm it but the sister-in-law is a lot more manipulative than you think.

Read synopsis in the page above. It's pretty much accurate.

She THOUGHT she tricked her way in. You see, he'd kept refusing interviews or answer her assistant's emails/calls to get HER to come to him. He already knew everything about her and was reeling her into his abode by refusing. He'd even prepared the jam. I think she surprised him with the scissors.

Maybe not watch any more? Sometimes a drama just isn't one's cuppa. There are some good dramas out there to enjoy.

I hope it goes higher!

Novel is a short six pages and script doesn't follow.

For me, it's HIM who set her up first. He cultivated their relationship for six months, set her for marriage, didn't TELL her about his son, and then let her loose with his Tiger Mom and friends, "disappearing" somewhere, probably to watch her. Why start the relationship that way?

I'm torn because he INITIATED the romance, so he perhaps knew she has a tendency to lie (not sure). So, why did he string her along for the interview if he hadn't been looking for a "perfect wife?"

One thing is for sure--she gives him what he wants.
1) adoration
2) quiet support
3) a way to win Mother's friends
4) getting projects

And caveat: my view has now been a little colored by spoilers I have found about AFTER Divorce, LOL.

I'm watching the ZOOM-like interview of the five characters on YouTube, In the middle, the interviewer challenged the actors to ask questions as their character to another character.

LuSi asks HaoMing (William): After our divorce, you don't want to let go of me, right?
William as HaoMing: Right. Because I was cultivating my agave (MY THEORY YEEHA) and it was supposed to bloom once in its lifetime and and it wasn't time yet. And suddenly you became so vicious.

WHOA!

Good makjang theory!

Cannot wait to see his regret.

Thanks!

Indeed, both are interesting grey characters. She comes from a place without power and he, the opposite. I think that's why he believed it is a transactional relationship. What is unforgiveable here is: he lured her into his world; she didn't seek to be his girlfriend. His later accusation therefore is totally his own misconception or, even more interesting, perhaps his excuse for wanting someone in his life because he couldn't trust anyone.

It makes him such a layered character, not just some makjang possessive CEO.

Except that, he lied to her to get her into a relationship first, and then sat back to see how she would win over his Mother. When she started that lie and went looking for fake parents, he knew he’d found a “wanna.”

Don’t you love to hate those short drama Green Teas that call from the hospital on the ML’s wedding day and he goes running off? 😂😝🤣

Betul. Next, divorcenya dan kemudian Act II starts. Haoming mesti banyak-banyak regret.

But they are the funnest!

Here's the thing, and this is just my opinion, 'kay?

He is a super detail freak. He knows the background of anyone around him. He likes agave because he can control it to grow the way he wants it and like he says, it has a vitality that breaks forth once in a lifetime and he likes that.

So, he gets an interview invitation. Of course, he first checks up on the show and the interviewer/runners/PROGRAM PLANNER. He finds out who is really in charge--the program planner and he runs another background check. Oooooh, interesting stuff. He sees her as ambitious, wanting to be the program host, going after an interview with him persistently.

So, he strings her along because he does that to everyone (check out how he strings the scammer along in later episode). He wants to see what her weakness is. He READS her articles and thinks he knows--she loves her grandmother and her parents abandoned her when she was young, so what does this woman really want? Success. Well, he, as CEO, likes success too. And ambition. Aaaannnd she's beautiful. So, he sets up to finally meet her.

At this point, all's fair. He is that kind of person and no harm done yet. She is that kind of person and hasn't done a thing to him yet.

THE MEETING
This is the turning point. He hears what she says and wheels start turning. Not only beautiful and ambitious, but manipulative (scissors) and persuasive (words to get his interview). He brings out a test--the jam. She doesn't deny her trying to manipulate him, keeping her cool. He is intrigued. Here is someone who can function in his world. She is like an agave, something he could shape to be the ideal wife, able to withstand his mother's powerful personality.

Wheels start turning--he decides to test her again. Let's show her who he really is. Invite her to the Big Office. She shows up but unexpectedly fainted from being ill. He decides this is the opportunity to get to go closer to see how ambitious she is, now that she knows who he is.

In the next six months, he wines and dines her and never tells her anything. He puts tabs on her at her work place, knows EVERYTHING that goes on there. She is perfect! Look at how she tolerates being yelled at while working to get to the top. This is his kink--watching his agave as he shapes her, giving her more things, getting people jealous.

Time for another test: can she pass Mother? What about her parents? Oooooh, she tells a BIG LIE. Now, not only is he intrigued, but he thinks she is maybe wanting to climb up that badly. Then he watches her make bigger and bigger web of deception. Instead of being a man in love, he manipulates her into more deceit because he wants to trap her in this relationship/marriage. If he really loved her, he would have had a big talk with her and does some CEO stuff to placate Mother, but he doesn't do this.

So this is my take on how a Red Flag knows how to control someone. Don't take me wrong, he doesn't want to hurt her, not like some other red-flag CEOs in vertical dramas, but he definitely does not love her at this point. He just want his agave to bloom :-). Unfortunately, she's going to bloom without him.

Yah, that's mostly my specialty and interest--dialogue and camera work, so I notice and appreciate these things. This director's work is the chef's kiss.