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Started brilliant, ended as something else entirely (spoilers)

This started out so well. Episode 1 had me crying, and I was hooked.

Then around episode 37 or 38, things went downhill.

For the first stretch, you could see the FL grow and build her confidence. That development is the reason I loved those episodes. Yes, they overdid it with her being the person who solves every problem (she’s the wisest person in the room, and she’ll find a way to get you a divorce), but it was still somewhat enjoyable.

Then the tone changed completely. Do you remember those old-school “she-tragedy” dramas, where a woman suffers across the years of her life? She marries, does her duty, smiles, and isn’t happy, and there’s an air of quiet despair over everything. Toward the end, this drama felt just like those. The FL still solves every problem, but it didn’t lift the mood. Instead, it got more morose, with someone dying every other episode. That shift made everything before it feel like a lie. If I’d known this was what I was signing up for, I would have stopped at episode 37, and I definitely wouldn’t have recommended it.

There’s no romance. You never see one develop. The wedding scene was wild, so I expected a redemption arc. I wanted to watch him go from hated, to indifferent, to considerate, to loved. We never got that. Instead, there’s a time skip, and they consummate after 6 years (?). The time skips feel lazy. Another skip and the daughter is suddenly 16. Shrug. Another skip, and then he’s killed off. Really? So much wasted potential.

The hidden identity was wasted. Her identity is the core of the story. It’s why she suffered, why her whole world ended, and why her rebirth was so impactful. I expected a real conversation about it, and it was glossed over. The reveal made all of that weight feel watered down. The deposed crown prince reveal was decent, though I expected more discussion of his role in it.

I hate it when a drama promises one thing and delivers another.

Lame.