gilaswan

@mademoiselle Ah… the old man she spoke about at their honeymoon. I thought there was an earlier scene of supernatural reference to the future…

I think the ending was meant to have some poetic link back to their start in “the happiest place” at the very beginning of their married life together. However, I personally didn’t like it - didn’t think it necessary to let us know that she lived another 50 years into the future (which seemed to look a lot like our present, something that feels therefore unreal to me). 

That she was buried all the way in Germany also seemed very odd and highly unlikely unless that was where they moved to in retirement. I dunno. I’d rather have that freedom to imagine their future, to whichever end it would take. If they felt compelled to bring us into the future, I think it would have been more meaningful to let us know that she either recovered some part of her memories, or that she chose to develop a new but equally loving relationship with Hyunwoo, confirming her “I will fall in love with you over and over again” profession. 

And the matter of Eunseong’s end. How does he degenerate into such an obsession from being a cool and presumable intelligent investor? Didn’t seem quite in keeping with the initial character presented to us. Would’ve made more sense if he were calculative and scheming to the end, but finally outwitted by Hyunwoo’s smarts. It would’ve been more satisfying an end to have his dishonesty thrown into the hands of justice than to be shot dead by a SWAT team. Seemed too easy a death for him. 

As for the other side characters, I reckon their round up was just very simple and neat. I just wish there were more scenes about how both families became better for the time they shared together, with more family gatherings and the lack of airs from the Hongs. 

Again, the ending was happy but not satisfying. Not for me anyway. 

Sweet ending, but I'm not sure I liked how they chose to wrap the story up?

@abs-oluteM When did Haein see the old man in Germany? I forget.

I hope they leave enough time for some couple time still. It feels like there’s still so much left to tie up in the final 1.5 hours.

- the case of fraud by Eunseung in the illegal take over 

- murder charges for being an accomplice in the murder of the land/property agent

- Soocheoul and Dahye: he was so badly hurt and there was an attempted kidnap on her

- Grace: so whose side has she been ultimately on? For a moment I was afraid she would swipe the parcel from Germany to Haein

- the poisoning of grandpa: will anyone finally find the hidden camera in the painting?

- Aunt Beomja’s love life: does she move to Yeongduri in the end?

- whatever happened to the eldest Uncle? Wasn’t there some mention of an attempt by him to takeover as Chairman from Eunseong?

- Eunseong’s and mum’s own feud - what a twisted family, more twisted than the Hong’s were to begin with!

And did Haein recover her memories? When she was reading her own diary entries, did she actually remember Hyunwoo? Or was it the distress of reading her own words and realising she’s been duped by Eunseong that made her cry? And how creepy is Eunseong to have placed a tracker on her without her knowledge.

Quick, after tonight I’m dramaless! What’s good to watch next? @mademoiselle hwelp!

What kind of an episode end is that?!?!

Love it! Love how there's still humour in this dire situation. It's tropey, how she still likes him regardless - the age old, I will fall in love with you again and again no matter how many lifetimes we go through - but I do love how in this instance, the memory loss is actually used to actively advance a plot. I hope writer continues to use this situation wisely. I'd like to know who else Eunseong will let her reconnect with thinking they're "safe" past relationships, only for these renewed partnerships to uncover more hidden secrets in Eunseong. 

I love how Haein's base personality has not changed. Hahaha... Let's go!

All of us are so distressed by Eun-seong's slimey ways that no one commented on how Hae-in, following an invasive brain surgery, emerges the OT with a full head of luscious hair... Hahahaha...

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Alamak... I just realised I'm gonna be traveling during this finale weekend  I might be able to watch at night, but then I most probably will end up with swollen eyes the next day. Will come peek in here for a little spoiler on what the tearing level is like 

Before I went on my trip, I actually counted to see if I would be away during the finale week or not too. Hahaha.. I managed to catch episodes while I was away last week! 

Short term memory is used for very immediate things, for example, someone gives you an order and you take it with you to the counter to make the order. Long term memory relates to things of the past that you draw back on, your knowledge of people and places, shared histories, etc. I’m sure it’s scientifically inaccurate, but the writer was probably trying to use the idea that Hae-in’s short term memory is still intact by having her say Hyunwoo’s name to herself repeatedly until she falls asleep - she wakes up with the most recent memory of a name, but no memory of who that person is or the character of the person. 

While I don’t like the memory loss trope, If have to say this writer has taken it and really made the evil of it really blood boiling (gotta give it to her to keep people watching). Eun-seong is manipulative to the core, like mother like son. Mok Seul-hee’s plans to take all of the Hong family’s wealth was simply driven by absolute greed! Nothing else to it! She just coveted all that the family had and living with them for 20 years allowed her to uncover all their social weaknesses and manipulate them. 

How will everything wrap up in the last 2 episodes?? How on earth did Eun-seong manage to fabricate the evidence on Hyun-woo? Surely Hyun-woo had alibis… but they would likely mostly be Hae-in, and she’s lost her memories! I hope she manages to recover her memories. Doctor did say that the likelihood of memory loss would be there but not 100% definite that it would, right? 

Honestly, if it were me, I’d probably also choose not to have the surgery. To lose one’s memories and therefore one’s history and sense of self is not so much terrifying to the self but devastating for family and loved ones too. You might as well be dead. The stress of not being able to remember is very displacing. 

@ktcjdrama long-term is what would be lost.

Man, I wanna scream! I’ve never hated a villain this much before! Yoon Eun-Slimey!!! 
 

but it’s way past my bedtime. I’ll check in tmw. Meanwhile, *fume*

I’m rewatching the latest episode again and totally love the scene where Hae-in dresses his wounds. KSH just acts so well there, down to the flinches in pain when she puts ointment on his lips right after he tells her the wounds don’t hurt. Aigoo… the interactions between them were so cute. And yes, I love that Hyun-woo as a character has these skills and traits that are just so understated - which is probably why he makes an excellent special forces soldier - but he does humble brag to Hae-in. And it’s so brilliant that she tells him she’s not impressed by any of the supposed fighting skills he has cos she’s actually worried for his safety. Love it! Cos that’s love. 

Something I don’t understand - why does Hyunwoo’s mum get angry with him when he revealed that he decided to call off the divorce when he found out she was terminally ill? Wouldn’t that in general have been the right thing to do anyway?

Oh. And I loved that at the press conference, Hae-in still speaks of Hyunwoo as her husband, not her ex-husband. Love it!

Loved this weekend's episodes! @Mouse summarised my thoughts exactly! Again I say, I am someone who rarely cries watching movies or tv shows, but by the end of ep. 10, I was in tears. I feel Hyunwoo's pain, despair, anxiety, shock, love... For everyone else who thought SJK's cameo character outshone Hyunwoo, I just have to say, the fact that despite Hyunwoo being such an impressive person he could still cower and be diminished in the presence of Vincenzo, just points to exactly how brilliant KSH's acting is. He is just that good. 

Throughout ep 9 and much of ep 10, I was starting to get annoyed by the supposed "love line" between Eun-seong and Hae-in, but ah! How the tables have turned on him! No wonder the twists and turns and twists again! She's smart. If it's out on such a public platform, how would Eun-seong be able to recover from that?! I'd like to see. She's not gonna die so easily - there are 6 more episodes to go. I just wonder how quickly her health would have deteriorated by the next episode. And as frustrated as we might be with the couple's lack of absolute transparency with each other, I can see why she would keep this from him - his worry for her might have put him in harm's way given how he just might confront Eun-seong too. 

Grace's comment about how transactional the "other team" was is telling in how relationships were managed and so easily discarded. That's the weaknesses of ultimately very myopic reasons for the gains they want to make - while the plan took 20 years to come into effect, the way they very quickly and readily discarded people when they deemed their goal accomplished just shows the flawed foundations they held. If nothing else, Hyunwoo really did keep Queens on the straight and narrow as best as he could. Therein lay the difference. Although, I have to say Grace being the first to betray them seemed a little quick. They were never really on the same page. Even son is ready to stab mum in the back. 

C'mon grandpa, hurry up and wake up already! You've got to give your statement to be able to drag the fraudulent mother-son team down!

@Alice Wonderland Safe to binge through both episodes this past weekend I think. The ending to episode 8 is quite smile inducing. I was kinda expecting to see all of them in the village when the news report came out to say no one knows where the Queens family has gone. Hahahaha...

But I do have questions

- were they ousted from their own house or did they choose to vacate because they now know it's no longer a safe space?

- Hyunwoo is no longer a director - granddad removed him - but as he mentioned, he is still an employee - does this mean he can still enter the office and "work" or has he been fired by Yoon Eun Seong? No mention of it ya? 
- Everyone involved seems to have fled the country - is Grace still around then? 

The take over was certainly very sudden and very swift. They just needed granddad to sign off on those papers and that was it! Aiyoh. I wonder what the reclaim Queens plan is going to be. I think we need the elder brother back in the game too. And poor Soo Cheol. I wonder what was in the note Da Hye left him. 

@ssteph What was the “come from spaceship” reference to? Which drama?

@Alice Wonderland I’m hoping we see some positive movement tonight towards battle. Last night was sad on so many levels. But I like it that Da Hye looks like she’s wavering. I think it had not dawned on her until now that there’s going be real bloodshed coming up. 
 

Soo Cheol is also - as idiotic as he can be - a real tragic product of his mother’s reaction to the death of her elder son. He’s simpleminded because his mother has over sheltered him. I see so much of that at my work place. It’s very sad when you have very rescuing parents. The children don’t get to grow up and malfunction as adults. 

Ms GF is starting to really get on my nerves. I really wonder why her motivations are. Is she simply a swindler? Is this just a very complex and long standing heist that has nothing to do with revenge? I’m still trying to figure out why Grace and Da Hye are in the picture. Simply for the ride?

And will Hae In’s memory loss continue from here? If it does then she’s not going to be able to run the business any longer. How will they hide it? I need Aunt Beomja and eldest uncle to come in quick and become the unknown formidable force that hits back at OTOQ because they’re assumed to be non-threatening elements in the game.

Aiyoh! Haein’s condition has gotten worse! She’s losing more recent memories! I feel so sad for the couple. 

The background music sounds funny, so let’s hope it’s exactly intended to be a ruse to be reported to those who want to believe the marriage is ending. I hope they don’t drag too long with Haein and Hyunwoo being unaware that Grandpa is being bugged through the painting. So far, the reveals have been well paced and nothing’s been too dragged out. I’m hopeful. What time does the drama air on Netflix? I want to watch tonight’s episode but I don’t wanna sleep late!

16 hours ago, Chocolate said:

If Eun Song was courting Hae In, how can he be Grandpa's son? That would be incest.

You're right. But if they are out to destroy, it would not matter. They just need a foot in. 

I do however think that that is not the relationship Eunseong has with the Hong family. I don't really know what the motivation is except for that he is certainly in cahoots with Ms GF and very possibly the son she had while in prison. There's a lot of mystery shrouding Ms GF too - she has been around with the family for the last 20 years and from that scene where Grandpa visited the orphanage to speak, it seemed to me as if that was where they first met, not before. But I'd prolly have to do a rewatch to get s sense of exactly what was being suggested there. It seemed to me like she entered the family shortly after Grandma's passing. 

Out of curiosity though - are chaebol families in Korea so young? Only 3 generations long with the first being a rags-to-riches generation?

We're officially at the mid-point mark in this drama! The constant reveals are keeping everyone on the edges of their seat and next week's going to be frustrating for us as we prepare to watch Hyunwoo get kicked around unjustly by the ingrates that are his in-laws and the seeming small victories that Operation-Take-Over-Queens (which acronym phonetically spells otoQae?! ) is having. 

The set up now makes it seem as if Yoon Eunseong is Grandpa's son. Aunt Beomja was certain that Ms Girlfriend caused mum's death, though Dad Beomjun and Grandpa seem very assured that mum died from natural causes. I am now suspicious. Did Grandpa have an affair with Ms Girlfriend prior? It's made to look that way, but she was director of the orphanage when Eunseong was already a young boy and looks to be about the same age or close to in age to Hae-in and her older brother. Would Grandpa not have known if Ms Girlfriend was pregnant?

Da Hye and Grace were also from the orphanage, but why are they part of this elaborate OTOQ team? If Eunseong and Ms Girlfriend are related, I get it. Are the other 2 just in for the ride? This has been a 20-year heist in progress, but you do have to give it to Eunseong that he has enough of the smarts to even be successful in his own right, else this OTOQ would not have been possible to begin with.

Da Hye's son - who is he? Another child taken from the orphanage? Was she even pregnant? Or was she one of those who bluffed her way into a 9-month solitary confinement because her "weak constitution" needed that quiet isolation in a seaside villa?

Grandpa is a rags-to-riches story to become the largest conglomerate in Korea. No wonder the pride and now paranoia in his old age. He probably had to step on many toes to get to where he is. The hurt experienced by Ms Girlfriend and Eunseong must be sufficiently great for them to want to do this, not just as a matter of getting a share of the inheritance, but also a way of revenge. I agree with the observation that Ms Girlfriend is very scary. Her complete calm when hurling the meat tenderiser is one kind of vicious psychopathy which Eunseong displays too.

I think too the boat accident that happened was planned and Hae-in's brother's death was a small victory for them. Who knew Hae-in would grow up to be the formidable heir apparent they now had to fight? No wonder Grace wanted Eunseong to marry her instead and gain entry through a legitimate way, but the emergence of Hyunwoo foiled that plan. She's been trying to plant hate against him since then. And Soocheol's dimwittedness is amazing. No wonder Da Hye has to drink to keep sane! 

This weekend's episodes are going to really frustrate and annoy me, I think. @Alice Wonderland's plan to wait till episode 10 to binge through is a good one. Hahaha... I have to say, just seeing Eunseong on screen fills me with annoyance. I really question why the private residence isn't locked up. How can it be that anyone can waltz into their rooms so easily? Room doors not locked. There's a strange level of trust for a family so full of distrust. 

MVP for the last weekend's episode? Aunt Beomja. While I know there is a sense that Hyunwoo is the wildcard with strengths he's kept hidden so long, I think Aunt Beomja is the one who is going to surprise everyone, Grandpa Dad especially who has written her off. She smells a rat and knows that her older brother is innocent, but she hasn't quite managed to put things together yet. However, she's the first to know and experience the extent of Ms Girlfriend's viciousness - perhaps it was her mistake to show her hand to Beomja afterall. Being in jail has given her some other resources perhaps uncommon to the chaebols, and she is going to use them all. Aunt Beomja is also going to be the unexpected link between the generations - she loves Haein and thinks very well of Hyunwoo. She will see through this injustice just as she has with regard to her own late mother, and she's not going to take it lying down. I hope in the coming episodes, she will reach out to Hyunwoo and make Haein see the logic and reality of what's going on. Perhaps they will set up their own clandestine operation of Reveal-OTOQ. It's 3 against 4. Let the games begin!

@mademoiselle Couldn't decide if I wanted to laugh or clap at your post, so I did the neutral "like". Hahaha..."I-will-bleed-or-die-in-your-stead" definitely made me laugh. Hahaha...

Which dramas did this writer write before?

I'm halfway through episode 6. It's starting to get heavy - I totally get @Alice Wonderland's thought process here... it is indeed starting to get difficult on the heart. 

Will be back with more thoughts once I'm done watching everything...

I loved episode 5. The emotions, the scheming, the cracks starting to show in everyone...

4 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Do all you mothers out there felt his pain a thousand fold stronger than us non-mothers?

It is often said that women become mothers before men become fathers. That's cos when you're carrying a child, you can feel the change in yourself - it's physical. You can't pretend it's not there. Whereas for men, they have a concept of becoming a father, but it doesn't really happen until the baby is in your hands. Men become fathers at that point. I am not someone who generally cries when watching movies or TV shows, but I did tear many times watching this episode. The loss of a child is a very painful thought for mothers. You have literally lost a part of your physical self. When I know of people who have lost their children, I am afraid to imagine the pain they are going through - I never want to experience it myself. So Hae-in's pain would have been tremendous.

I think that Hyunwoo's pain wasn't any less, though the source could have been very different. The joy of anticipation being taken away from you would have been painful; the sudden apparent rejection from his wife would have been painful. And I think that was what happened. She would not have removed the nursery immediately after knowing. There must have been at least a few days before she did that but in that time she must have also already started to withdraw from him. And we've seen it in her general manner - she's dismissive, cold, and doesn't want anyone thinking she is soft and in need. Yet Hyunwoo's fundamental personality is that - he wants to be needed. His sister said that about "his type". Hae-in's personality would have been a refreshing change to that, though if you think about it, that was what attracted him to her in the first place too - she seemed to need his help.

Unevenly matched relationships however cannot really work. You actually need to need each other, and you need to communicate that need to each other. Hae-in actually needed Hyunwoo while she was hurting but she closed up instead; Hyunwoo needed to be the head of the household and take charge when crisis hit, but he withdrew from Hae-in instead. All the misunderstandings from unsaid words! That last scene at the steps of Sanssouci Palace was done very well - when they finally allowed themselves to say what has likely been bothering them for the last 2 years -

"I should be by your side at times like this" He realises he did not protect her like he said he would. I think aunt Beomja's words woke him up.
"Did I ever tell you not to? I wanted you to be by my side. I didn't want to be alone. Ever." She never articulated her need but it was there.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." He accepts he is to blame too. He has rejected her, she never actually rejected him.

She extends her hand out to him. She realises she needs to open her heart to make her thoughts known to him

Loved episode 5. 

Am finally done with this drama. All in all, I think it was a healing sort of drama. Nothing extreme, nothing nail biting, a very on-the-ground attempt to look at mental health issues from the position of those themselves in the medical profession, but nevertheless relatable to the everyday person.

Would I highly recommend it? No. I will recommend it, but if you want a drama for the purpose of excitement with something to look forward to each week, then this is not going to be it.

At times, the story was almost forgettable because it's such an everyday sort of story. But I did appreciate the effort to address mental health which is really plaguing many societies and people today.

Did I like how they wrapped up Haneul's depression? Not quite. I think they made it look so easy to overcome. But I appreciate the message they were trying to put out there - you don't really get over it; you learn how to cope with it. 

If you're looking for a drama which episode endings make you go, "darn the wait!", then it's gotta be Queen of Tears. See y'all on that thread!

I had to decide - if time was limited on the weekend and I had to pick a drama to watch, what would it be - Queen of Tears. @mademoiselle I’m with you on being a crackpot for this drama; @abs-oluteM I too am down to just this drama for the weekend now… in fact for the week! I’m keeping my Dr Slump ending episodes for when I need to relax in the next couple of days…

Love this week’s episodes and how they were delivered. Love how each new reveal may seem so small but in reality adds so much to the story.
 

The biggest and saddest reveal this week was the loss of the baby. Very heartbreaking and very likely what led to the marriage breaking down. My guess is it probably looked like Haein lost the baby because she was “careless” at work and she likely brushed it off as ‘better anyway since it would be a hindrance to her work life’ because she’s the sort that needs to rationalise away her hurt. If she had done that, then it would’ve led to a huge fight between them. Something similar probably happened with her older brother’s death which was why her mum blamed her for the selfishness with which she responded to his death. Truth is more likely that Haein carries deep hurt and guilt for her brother’s death and baby’s miscarriage. This life incident also sheds light on why she didn’t want to let her parents know about her illness - she has actually experienced the pain of losing a child. I wonder if her parents knew about her pregnancy. They may live on the same compound but they clearly have their own quarters. 

That investor dude is clearly trying to bring the family down. I wonder if he’s in on it with Granddad’s live-in girlfriend. I don’t like him at all (I don’t reckon we are supposed to at all) and I can’t wait for Hyunwoo to bring him down and have her entire family finally appreciate him for who he is and not his background.

Brother and wife are also quite an interesting couple to watch. He’s such a gullible person and wife is such a two-faced person. I wonder how such people lead such tiring lives! 
 

And then there’s the eldest uncle. I wonder if granddad’s girlfriend was the one who did him in and what actually happened there. Granddad’s books aren’t clean but it doesn’t seem like Granddad is at fault. More like he’s trusting the wrong people and not keeping things in check. I’m waiting for Hyunwoo to work with this uncle and aunt to uncover questionable corporate shenanigans that could harm the empire.

There were also lighthearted comedic moments, especially when Hyunwoo has conversations with that lawyer friend of his who’s teaching him all sorts of nonsense. My husband found me chuckling many times and remarked, “You’re really liking this show, huh?” Yes, I am! And I’ll even rewatch it to see if there’s anything else of significance I missed!

I liked the epilogues that tell us more about their past. I did wonder too if they knew that they had met each other briefly in high school. I think they probably did - her mp3 player was kept in Hyunwoo’s old room. 

After this weekend I will also only have one drama left…

2 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Haven't watched. Wondering if I should even bother because I don't want to start if the ending isn't satisfying.

I was satisfied with the ending. I actually would put it as likely to be among the best dramas of 2024 for me. I've all of given up with Wedding Impossible. 

@mademoiselle Nope. He doesn't really watch many Kdramas or Kmovies. Just that a long time ago he used to watch some with me and remembers KSH as, "ah...the good looking one." Hahaha...