The thread is open.
I’m behind one episode because I was trying to finish “Hidden Love” then got distracted by a new cdrama “Please Be My Family.”
Let’s enjoy the show.
The thread is open.
I’m behind one episode because I was trying to finish “Hidden Love” then got distracted by a new cdrama “Please Be My Family.”
Let’s enjoy the show.
Aww. I thought this was a nice touch from their wedding video. 🥰
Thank you! 🙇🏻♀️
My pleasure, @agdr03.
I agree. The videographer captured the mood of the day. They certainly married each other because they were in love.
Kalispera.
Episode 5 was okay, then it was not… I don’t like the makjang in this one. The second characters who want to destroy the Queens family not my cup of tea.
I prefer the OTP and Imu in this one. She is the most interesting character of all.
@Cleo, reading you makes me think I’d like to only watch the last half of this series. I only want to see the couple get back together and survive against the odds. I’ve no heart or stomach for all the initial angst. 😒😑
It’s actually great, @GB. 🙂
I’m enjoying it because, unlike typical romcoms, it gives us a glimpse of what could happen when we marry with our heads full of romantic notion of “love conquers everything” and our stomachs fed on a steady diet of romcoms, fairy tales and kdramas.
Both leads entered the marriage expecting a Happily-Ever-After. And now, they’re seeing that despite their good intentions and good faith, bad things happen to good people. Will they stick with their marriage or walk away? It’s much easier for him to walk out of this hell-hole and get a divorce. But love means sticking through thick and thin, together.
The show is highlighting the COMMITMENT entailed in love and marriage. And that’s what I want from my kdramas. Too often, we’re getting the meet-cutes, the sweet dates, and the romantic tropes. We’re now seeing the other half. What happens when reality bites after marriage?
But the screenwriter has to make a compelling case that this marriage is worth saving. And from what I can see thus far, she’s doing a good job.
I guess, it also helps that I can identify with the heroine: I’m married to a saintly man and I’m considered the psycho. 😂
@pkml3, when you put it THAT way, it sounds like a more worthwhile watch. I don’t want to watch people just being nasty, but if they’re dealing with being committed in a nasty situation, I’m more interested.
Hi @GB. I’ll second Queen on this being the opposite of the usual romcom that we love. Staying committed to each other through thick and thin and in sickness and in health, is what this drama is all about.
I was going to reply yesterday but I thought my comment didn’t even go through but I saw that it did. Anyway, my issue with the blog comes and goes so I’ll reply when I can.
Yes! They married because they love each other. Worthy to note too that Hyun-woo said all he needs is Hae-in while she said she will still be pretty, happy and healthy because she’s got Hyun-woo. 🙂
I think you’ll like to watch the “moral lesson” of what NOT to do when you marry for love alone. In our Catholic tradition, we go through marriage counseling BEFORE the nuptials so the basic issues are at least introduced and discussed, like family influence, finances, health, children, and so on. But the couple were “young” and idealistic in that sense.
So many of their problems, esp with their family could have been averted with communication of expectations beforehand.
I don’t know. You can watch and see what I mean.
I did a reasearch before and one of my respondents answered that whenever their marriage goes through a rough patch, they go back and remember the good old times, why they’re together and why they made a family, and this episode reminded me of that.
Hyunwoo’s been confused and in denial with his feelings because he kept telling himself that he hated his wife but when he saw the video he realized how much he still loves her.
I do hope Hyunwoo realizes that behind the icy exterior of his wife is someone who loves him dearly.
The umbrella scene was heartbreaking because Hyunwoo believes that Haein is not the type of person who waits for someone. But in reality she had been waiting for the longest time.
I liked the last part of the episode, I really felt the longing. Hyunwoo was such a baby. It was really endearing to see the role reversal.
And the way he said, ” when you proposed to me you promise me I wouldn’t cry.”
I’m curious what will happen next because there’s still so much to cover in terms of the chairmans girlfriend and Eunsong’s plan. Hoepfully the divorce bit wont get dragged to much especially since the couple is finally making progress.
I like this drama because it doesn’t sugar coat relationships. Her underlying brain tumor makes me uneasy. I know what cancer is about and they treat the emotional issues around a diagnosis with periods of denial, hope and despair sensitively. The leads do a great job. They are subtle. I loved her in My Liberation Notes. Her performance here is comparable. I think we’ll be getting more gut punches
So I am all in.
@pkml3, based on you recommendation that it’s about Commitment and not just a romance, I’ve decided to start this drama. I also happened to read someone else’s notes on how the first episode is the husband’s point-of-view and the 2nd episode gives the wife’s POV… hence we are seeing things skewered from different perspectives. We will need to watch and then judge as objectively as we can! This makes it interesting.
I’ve not completed Ep 1 yet. I found that I might need to make notes to keep my views from flying out my head into neverland.
BTW, a Holy Palm/Passion Sunday to you and to @agdr03 and other friends who observe this sacred week as well! How quickly we are in Holy Week and I don’t feel a tad holy!! 😅😂
Episode 5.
– I liked that Hae-in was proud in saying how she beat pork and rice with beef and lobster. Ya! I personally like all of them. hehehe But Hyun-woo must have felt happy knowing that she made an effort to help his Dad with the election. Hae-in was touched when she saw how everyone of his family was out looking for her.
I have something similar with the old hair dryer with a hand me down GHD, I have to hold the cord so it works. LOL.
– Ha! He stops himself before he could kiss her and just runs away with two different slippers and talks to himself if he should go back. He’s torn now. But Hae-in was ready though and she was waiting. hahaha
– It was so sad in the flashback of why they started to sleep separately two years ago. Hae-in said to herself ‘don’t cry, you have no right’.
She blames herself. 🙁
– That look Hae-in gave to Hyun-woo before going in he car. It was scary. LOL. But then him calling out ‘Noona’ at the coffee shop was so loud. Far out. LOL.
– Can we have that life line that Hyun-woo drew on Hae-in’s palm to be true please. 🙂
– The way she asked Cho-rong’s Dad to deliver juice in the office for 250 people didn’t sound kind at all but she meant well and he knows it too.
– 1.9 trillion won converted to USD is $1,413,059,640 in today’s rate. Wow! I’m glad Grandpa and Father does listen to Hyun-woo.
– Oh that punch of Seul-hee to Beom-ja. (I understood the 20 years now. I didn’t pick it up before). That’s a long time to still not be a wife of Grandpa.
– I’m glad Imo Beom-ja knows about Hae-in’s illness. She’s really worried about her.
– Hae-in would like to go for walks, drink tea, eat, chat and do some catching up with Hyun-woo everyday. He’s missing her so bad now.
– While she was seating down in Germany, she was looking at a young family with a todler then a couple and a woman with an old couple. I bet that’s how she wanted it to be, in that order too.
– Ok. I liked their reconciliation scene. Hyun-woo was supposed to be Cinderella but he was still the one to put on comfortable shoes to Hae-in. I’m so glad he’s there with her and that pull for a hug and that kiss was full of love and longing. I was teary.
I thought I saw a little heart when they were seating together watching the full moon and now during their kiss too.
@GB! A Holy Palm Sunday to you too. We went to mass this morning and it was good to see many people in my parish.
Me too, I was like that went very quick. I am looking forward to Easter. 🙂
Annyeong
I love this show even though it’s heartbreaking… when JW walked out of the kiss and slept outside. How he keeps telling himself to keep hating her. And how he left her bedside when the baby room was cleaned out. Their hearts were broken but JW is the one crying and HaeIN tells herself not to cry. They grieved differently and it drove them apart.
I like that the aunty was supportive of HI upon learning of her cancer.
And that OTP kiss in the end. Yes! JW brought her sneaker!! Awww I can’t seem to follow what the name of that place that is HI’s fave?
And the epilogue explains why her lifeline got longer. Cute. I had a feeling he drew it on her. Just wasn’t sure when. I love this OTP. You can feel the love through the cold ulterior.
And I don’t like that Yoon fellow trying to destroy the Queen fortune. And how he just swoops in and gets all touchy with HaeIn. Ugh.
I do love how JW’s fam cares for HI when she was missing. In the rain, they were all wet. and how HI ate so much food with the town folks with smile on her face.
Per preview, the wall of ice has melted between our OTP and there’s skinship. Yay
😍 Thanks for your rundown of your favorites scenes, @agdr03. This will help me later.
@HKLady,
I’m glad that the screenwriter didn’t follow the kiss-by-Episode-8 formula in this show. It wouldn’t have made sense since the leads are a married couple already. So we had the fake “good morning” kiss in Ep 2, the tree kiss in Ep 3, and the Sanssouci staircase kiss in Ep 5.
Pretty sure rummaging through people’s stuff is against the law. I hope HW sue them all.
Just when our couple finally got back together they got separated again.
I hope HW finally takes the lead now especially since he has to prove himself that he truly loves her. Glad Haein knows about the divorce but I kinda wish she wasn’t as shocked since they didn’t exactly had a perfect marriage in the last 2 years, like somewhere down the road she might’ve sensed something. Right?
Really curious why Eunseong wants to take down queens group. I hope when he gets taken down it will be satisfying.
I was so disturbed by the invasion of privacy in Ep 5 when they snuck into Hyun Woo’s room, which sounds funny in light of what Eun Song & the others are planning for them
EPISODES 5 & 6 – Great episodes!
SPOILERS
BE WARNED
SPOILERS
I was thinking the Hong family characters seemed somewhat cartoonish or over-the-top. But by the end of Ep 6, they appear almost normal and are the most gullible lot, while everyone else in their household, who’s not family, are in league to bring them down.
It’s gotten very interesting as Show has pit one HW (hopefully with aunty Beom Ja and with help from his attorney friends) against a Gang of Mission Impossible-like frauds. I’m amazed that they have bothered to play such a long game of winning over the Hongs in so many areas of life and business. This Gang practically runs the household and influences decisions everywhere.
HI’s marriage to HW was a big fly in their ointment, because she eschewed dear Grace’s matchmaking and married HW instead of Eun Seong. On top of not being one of the Gang, HW is mostly honest and professional as the family attorney, so the Gang cannot get away with fraudulent deals. Since they cannot control HW, they have to take him down and/or kick him out.
It’s interesting that the Gang have known each other since they were kids and actually took on roles to play for years or months to deceive the Hongs so completely. I wonder if Seul Hee, Eun Seong or Grace is their Gang leader.
I like that the cause of the conflict was already inherent and that the Gang merely had to be opportunists plus great liars to blow everything up for HW.
On the OTP side, of course the relationship had to improve and be just about great before things fall apart. It’s going to be an interesting uphill climb for HW who was once the most trusted, to now regain that trust.
Thanks, @Gb. I agree. After Ep 3, I realized that the Hong family wasn’t as dysfunctional as it seemed in the Ep 1. The hangers-on were more dangerous to the family members. I was reminded of the movie “Parasite,” and how the family hired helpers were plotting to take over the family out of greed and class envy.
Will watch Ep 6 tonight.
Meanwhile, I need spoilers please. 😂😂 What’s the role of the longtime mistress in all of this? Is she associated somehow with the gang of three, comprised of the sis-in-law, 2nd Male Lead and the Matchmaker?
I think SML might be the son of the mistress.
Aunty had her investigated and she’s given birth to a boy while she was in prison? She’s using someone else’s name now.
The daughter inlaw might just be friends from when SML was in the orphanage.
With the lady assistant, maybe she’s the mistress’s sister?
What a gang if it’s all true. 😂
Such a long plan for revenge? 🤔
😂 SML is the secret-not-so-secret son of the mistress? Nice. Just like a typical kdrama.
Maybe sis-in-law has been in love with 2ML since orphanage. Too bad that she has a kid with the brother. The child is an “insurance policy.” She can’t be killed off in the story otherwise the child will end up motherless.
Oh the Aunty commented that the baby does not look like Hae-in’s brother so might not be his at all 🤣
Episode 6 does an effective job of playing with our emotions by switching back and forth from the warm feelings created from seeing the couple’s relationship heal to the angst of seeing the baddies destroying HW’s credibility and the couples’s relationship while HW and HI were in Germany. I was a bit worn out😮💨.
The epilogue was especially touching…we learn our hunch was right… HW was HI’s first love, “the bus boy”,and it was also the evening of the first snow. We see this after we see HI’s stunned reaction to divorce papers.
Leads are doing a great job!
Hi @LL, I sort of guessed what was going to happen and kept my emotions from going overboard, or else I’d also have been exhausted.
I found it so strange that a couple who had almost had a baby together is still so coy about sharing a room like any normal married couple. However their trusting each other and being together was very sweet. Pity the family are super sensitive to being betrayed … they want to strike first before anyone can hurt them. Hae In too will be especially hurt because she believed that no one but HW could be trusted.
@pkml3
Selected Notes
Rewatching Ep 6 on the surface level. Brother Soo Cheol’s wife, Da Hye has got better insight into our couple than they themselves do. She can tell that they actually like each other, but they don’t know it and are therefore never on the same page. HI is too cold and forbidding, while HW lacks confidence and finds her scary. I note that it was HI who proposed marriage to him.
HI is something of a narcissist when it comes to her looks. She thinks she’s very pretty and will make the prettiest angel when she dies.
She gets hallucinations as well as memory blackouts. She thinks she saw her older brother as a child and follows him.
We get some backstory of her as a child. She had experienced a mysterious accident when on a boat. Her older brother, Su Wan, had saved her from drowning, but had himself been drowned. Her mother had blamed her for her son’s death and was currently all out to promote her second son, even at the expense of HI.
HI says she still cannot shake off the guilt and feels that she’s stolen Su Wan’s life. she heard that when one is about to die, the person who loved one the most would come as an angel to fetch one. She wonders if Su Wan had come because it was her time. Later on she tells HW that when he dies, she’d be the pretty angel who would fetch him.
The boat accident might not have been an accident but murder.
The business to whom HW had given the USB/thumb drive to restore has been asked to close down by the Gang who had retrieved the recording.
The Gang proceeds to bug Grandpa’s rooms and make it seem like HW had done it. At the same time Eun Sang gifts and has a large artwork installed in Grandpa’s office, however it has a hidden spy camera and a bugging device in it, through which Eun Sang spies on Grandpa.
HW was smart enough to leave his car parked outside the business that restored data in USB/thumb drives. His friend Yang Gil retrieves the dashcam’s SD card to find out who had visited the store before it closed.
Meanwhile Aunt BJ finds out that Seul Hee is actually the name of someone long dead (died 30 years before). Her real name is Oh Sun Yeong and she’d been in prison for adultery where she’d given birth to a boy.
My guess is that Seul Hee and son decided to scam the Hongs, possibly because she could not marry Grandpa and inherit anything. Eun Sang might have been Hong’s son. He had been in the orphanage while she was in prison. It was there that he met the members who would form the Gang.
Kalimera Unnie!
I understand what you are saying. These days I don’t have much time to watch tv shows. And when I do, I really don’t want to watch angst.
For me, the episodes are too long. So far, I had to pause the episodes thrice in order to do a break, so every episode I watch it during a 2 hour time frame.
I have realized since the beginning that we will get lots of tears if they don’t follow a miraculous healing for Hae In’s case.
It may have precious life lessons about marriage and the lack of communication between a couple, but the whole plotting against the Hong family is not my cup of tea.
I find the Hong family too gullible for their own good. Just because someone says so, they do follow their bidding blindly and they harass Hyun Woo just because his class is not the same as theirs. They have forgotten as it seems, that the Chairman was cleaning shoes some decades before.
Anyway, I haven’t watched Episode 6 yet. I might do so this Friday. I have been spoiled about what happened with the divorce papers, but Hae In shouldn’t be so surprised. She has to accept herself, that she has also made many mistakes during their marriage. Hyun Woo might not be perfect, feeling suffocated with all this gaslighting and bullying from her family, but so far, his actions speak volumes.
And that’s my two cents. 🙂
Hi Dear Doensaeng @Cleo
I know what you mean about episodes being too long… especially when I’m busy and especially when I need to rewatch to write notes!
I don’t really mind sad endings, especially when we have been given fair warning and it fits the plot or the theme. Then it’s time to have a good cry. Sometimes if a person is supposed to die and they don’t, I get more upset LOL.
I’m looking forward to comeuppance to hit all the baddies who are scamming the Hongs. I guess the Hongs always were easy-going with people who buttered them up and appeared to be friends. Once 1 of the Gang got into the good books of any one of the Hongs, they could recommend more of the Gang to come and join the family as staff.
I’m guessing it was Grandpa’s girlfriend, who’s been around since before his wife died, who is the mastermind to bring in her son and others like the matchmaker-spa-dogsbody person. Matchmaker gets foolish Soo Cheol to marry his scheming wife who gaslights him so easily. Etc. So now I’m guessing the whole Gang of about 5(?) of them are on the scene to steal billions by getting Soo Cheol to enter into business with Eun Sang.
I agree that HI should reflect on her own behaviour and see how HW was affected. Despite wanting the divorce, he never stopped caring for her. Of course now that the divorce papers are found and because he kept quiet about them, she’ll think that he’s just trying to be nice so that she’ll change the will in his favour. We have 8 more episodes to get things to work out. 😉 😆
@pkml3, I made a mistake lumping together stuff meant for Wedding Impossible with mentioning ‘divorced aunt’ in the Wedding Impossible 9 & 10 Open Thread. That aunt belongs here in the Queen of Tears thread. Please see if you think it should be deleted from the other thread. The non-existent aunt confused readers, 🤪😅 .
Unnie,
I would prefer it if the episodes were tighter.
I don’t mind sad endings either, if the story is backing that choice up.
Yes, they are too strict with people who are working with them, but then decide for their own reason to quit, but not with those who are sugarcoating them and milking them all these years.
Yes, the Grandpa’s girlfriend seems to be behind the whole thing. I am glad that Imu Beom Ja is not that gullible as all the others and put a PI to investigate her past.
I do hope that the PI will bring her evidence that connects them all together and she somehow will clear Hyun Woo’s image, because of the scum they did on him. I do hope Imu will question the timing as well.
For me, it is unbelievable that they don’t have CCTV on their corridors.
I mean they invited an outsider aka Eun Seung who could freely enter their private chambers and they couldn’t even find footage of him entering anywhere? But Hyun woo was framed as the suspect of the bug, just because they were made to believe so?
Those things are really weird and the Grandpa should really know or just ask, a technician to inform him WHEN the camera started filming. I guess I have to believe, that such rich people are also naive.
Anyway… As you have said, we will see their downfall, but until then Hyun Woo will be the scapegoat.
Episode 6.
– It’s funny how Da-hye doesn’t even make an effort to cover her face while following the instruction of luring the boar from the fence.
How come everyone has access to the bedrooms? HW and HI should lock their rooms when their overseas. LOL. Or better yet just no access on their floor level.
I wonder if Da-hye and Eun-sung are half brother and sister. Let’s make the gang a whole family. LOL.
– I really love that pull of HW to hug HI when she said let’s go home. I’m glad he apologised to her because she was all by herself.
What a view to eat some cup ramen!
But that three minute rule to soften the noodles was enough for HI to tell HW what she’d like to happen after she dies. 🙁 She said so it’s not serious and then she went on but it wasn’t light at all. Hyun-woo was tearing up. His eyes were white then it became red when the noodle was ready. I’m glad he said you can change your will when you’re all healed and better.
Why did HW say there was none when HI said to write a nice obituary and to write some moving stories about her? What did he mean with none? 🙂
He was hopeful after his talk with the Doctor before seeing HI that’s why he said they might call her again.
– Aww. Imo Beom-ja really tried to get the ginseng for HI.
– I thought it was funny when HI said she’ll take that room but you can tell from her voice that she’s waiting for HW to pick up her underlying meaning about the room. I think I can understand their ackwardness after sleeping separately for 2 years.
She had to say it sarcastically, ‘You can sleep wherever you want. That’s not what I said. Just sleep wherever you want. Do as you want Follow your heart.’ And she goes to the room that HW was going to. Love it! 🙂
I liked his little jump from the sofa and HI’s feet turning already when HW stopped her at the door. Good on you HW for asking the question, ‘can I… I mean, from today on, can I sleep in your room?’. HI biting her lip and lifting her left foot just to prolong her answer . hahaha
Good on you HI for asking the question, ‘so just for today? or from now on? from this day until forever?’. I love the reply from HW – ‘Yes. This day until forever’. Her barely audible ‘call’ because she’s happy and she didn’t want it to be exclaimed. LOL!
– Poor HW! After confirming he can sleep with HI in the one bed, he thought he was going to get something else starting with holding her hand. All he got was a lot of praise for being a one of a kind husband and guilt instead. Look at him closing his mouth and swallowing. hehehe
– I loved HW was just staring at a sleeping HI and him giving him his hand to hold. She held on to it too. She didn’t sleep properly for the last 2 years since sleeping separately. I appreciate his scene praying at church without even saying anything out loud. It was enough.
– What’s with the exact thing that always happens with HW and his friends get together? hahhaha
– I was surprised with HI’s ‘yeobo’. Same when HW called her that at the annual hunting. LOL!
– I bet HW already asked the doctor what food to eat etc.
– Hmm. After rewatching I’m pretty sure Geon-u is not Soo-cheol’s son because of that look between Grace and Da-hye.
– Hahaha the popularity of Yongdu-ri after Hae-in’s visit except for the apples.
– I like HI’s little jealousy when that lady said hi to HW. 🙂 But I knew it as well that HW was her first love when she talked about those first love things that you do which the epilogue confirmed. It was funny that HW got jealous in return but he just didn’t know that it was him. 🙂
– Hae-in buying the four leaf clover keyring. She’ll buy anything that will give her luck.
– Ok. I was laughing at her wriggling her arms to loose the weight she gained. LOL!
– Gosh, HW looking for HI for about 1 hour. 🙁 I like that HI is more open now to HW. Yeah, it doesn’t look like an accident, Su-wan’s drowning while saving HI.
HW was tearing up again when she said she’ll become an angel and pick him up when he dies. Sigh. By the way, the German sausage that HI was eating looked yummy.
– I liked that HI wasn’t fazed by her Mom’s news about HW bugging the house etc.
– Awww. The effort of HW getting the clover leaf bouquet and finding their love lock for HI. HI lining up for the first time ever in her life buying the kebab (I think it’s more like banh mi sandwich) for them. They were both so happy only for HI’s world to turn upside down. 🙁
It was a good ending. It’s good the divorce is now out in the open.
I’m leaving this here. It’s so true how they describe their characters. 😃
https://youtu.be/Af1uxDxxQ1A?si=_CUbCTwd5RnmzA3u
This is the first time that I’m commenting on this drama. It’s been hard for me to watch this along with wedding impossible and the Impossible Heir because I keep confusing which rich grandpa is which (and which lead is responsible for someone’s “accidental” death.) I’ll put this one on hold until wedding impossible is done next week. So it may take a while for me to come back here
The thing that I’m most curious about is how they’re going to keep this going for 10 more episodes. The female lead said in the most recent episode that she only has two months to live. That means that the first six episodes covered more than a month of her life. So I assume that the next 10 episodes will be stretched out over her next two months. I can’t imagine the screenwriter killing her off before the end of this.
I’ve watched 3 previous shows by this writer, Park Ji Eun—LOTBS, CLOY, MLFTS. None of them had exactly happy endings for the OTP. For example, in CLOY, the couple will always be separated by the North/South Korea line, able to only spend two weeks each year in neutral territory. In MLFTS, the alien ML flickers in and out of the FL’s life (though i’m not sure if this was permanent or temporary). LOTBS had the happiest ending of the three but she’s a MERMAID who needs to be in the ocean…
So this writer likes OBSTACLES for her OTPs. And what greater obstacle is there—or separation for a couple—than death?! I can’t believe that she will kill off the female lead before the end of this or at the end of this, but I suppose it’s possible (that would really SUCK!). Please/jebal, no afterlife connection, or a reunion in the next lifetime. On a smaller scale, the separation between this couple is already in place, in that he is comparatively poor and she is uber-rich. So it’s a class divide.
I can’t imagine how this is going to end/resolve at this point. But that’s good. I’m so tired of watching dramas that I can figure out the ending for within the first two episodes. So I’m here for the ride, and I will return in the next couple weeks.