elpis

I started this drama, drawn by its plot, late 2024 and finally finished it couple of days ago. I think that tells you how disengaged I was. The dramas has the elements of a good thriller with some interesting cases, but does not work in its entirely. Many reasons - no subtlety(writing & acting), predictable "twists", loud and obvious narrative style, and one-dimensional characters. I finished for Sakai Masato of whom I'm a fan. Serious thriller watchers, avoid.

PS: this possibly provided the seed idea for Taxi Driver 1 (vigilante+pvt prison)

To be fair (to the writer & Jae In), there is a convo in an earlier episode between the doc and her where he asks her to stay on as her "punishment" until he makes up his mind regarding her. That is the reason she is still here. But yes, he should have let her go asap.

I hope the writer has something planned for Jae In's mom as a character. I initially thought she'll add some spice to Jae In's revenge being smarter than Jae In. But she's turning out to be the dumbest and most annoying character, serving absolutely no purpose right now towards any plotline. Her idiocy & entitlement just gets me irritated. I cheered YG for the first time during that breakfast convo.

Glad to see the end of Geum Ja. That character was useful imo - it gave Jae In a way to enter the YL environment unnoticed and observe her "enemies", subsequently allowing her an opportunity to get back in. But happy we didnt suffer her hair for more eps - Jae In looks so chic now!

We are settling into the revenge building phase. The pace is still fast-ish given that the Do Hee household is coming to know of the truth already but not as much as before. Or will they stop the reveal because the mom is genuinely fond of Jae In? We shall know soon!

For me, a major issue with this drama is its lack of snappy/biting dialogue in the confrontation scenes - eg that last scene between Jae In & the aunt should have been more fiery. Similarly the scene where the mother asks Jae In if she regrets ignoring her warnings was also weak. BTW, the mother KILLING someone because of her misunderstanding should have featured in that scene.

Regardless, the mother being shown to be so blase about murdering someone is just baffling, even for a makjang.

At every turn the aunt uses SW as an excuse and acts against basic decency. GC & Seri being outright evil somehow makes me less mad than the aunt's selfish choices! I hope SW turns against her when the truth is revealed. However mad it makes me, I think this is an interesting way for the writer to weave in the mandatory makjang plotline of birth secret.

Yes, the substitution as a plot point was being set up since the beginning but makes no sense. Surely the earlier chairman's inner circle would have attended Jae In's wedding even if it were not a public affair .... so this is silly. But to enjoy/keep watching makjang dramas, one should leave logic at the door.

Jae In could have never pulled off the expose so I didnt think it was her - but who else knows so much AND has the smarts to arrange it?? I cant decide - possibly some character we have not yet met? But the cast list is complete???

Lastly - the drama is yet to hit double digits ratings, but seeing Kopiko make an entrance does tell me its not doing so bad as well 😂

Her really OTT disguise , the attention drawing with the perfume, plus Na Ra almost clocking her - is making me speculate that the intention was to deliberately make Geum Ja so loud that people overlook her physical likeness to polished Jae In. She looks really weird & not sure it passes imo, but i acknowledge the writer's efforts towards making the plotline work by leaning into it. 😂

So her mother does realise her pathetic state but refuses to accept it, instead clinging on to her older ways to feel better.

Whatever the drama gets wrong, I am really really pleased and appreciate that the writer made GC's laptop password protected. In most dramas people just waltz by someone's work computer, open it blithely and get what they want!

Thanks for posting these updates regularly - the drama has been inching upwards gradually; will it reach double digits is the question now. I suppose with the revenge plot kicking off officially and all deaths (hopefully) done with, more people are tuning in.

A fairly decent watch primarily because the FL & the ML were mostly mature and genuinely seemed to cherish each other. Enjoyed Bai Jing Ting's little comedic bits and general acting as well. The FL 's aegyo was a bit forced in places but otherwise she did a fine job. Fortunately, the FL was written as having a distinct character and remains genuinely strong throughout not turning into damsel in distress after a point. Somewhat rare.

Lost interest in the 2nd couple after she pursues him repeatedly despite being rejected - I didnt find it in any way romantic that he doesnt "realise" he likes her. I just skipped thru all their scenes. I did like the 3rd couple - Wang Yang is a charmer; unfortunately their relationship got the least development sadly for me.
Between skipping the 2nd couple and the propaganda police scenes the drama goes by faster!!!!

Finally, we see the beginnings of the revenge plot! Jae In not rushing to confront GC is indeed the first sign that she is evolving from acting thoughtlessly. Poor Do Yun - the dilemma he already was in must be complicated by his mother & niece taking to Jae In. I hope Jae In and Do Yun share info and not work at cross purposes.

The mother being tricked utterly by Gi Chan is somehow the funniest thing. She thinks she's so smart! Despite telling Jae In repeatedly that its all for her, her lack of concern for her daughter shows how terribly self centered she is. Its a surprise Jae In grew up to be such a nice - if a pushover - person. It even funnier that she thinks she has done her daughter a favour when she killed Do Hee, when in fact shes got even that wrong!

The aunt Mi Ran continues to enrage me - what gall to offer money Jae In. I hope she is thoroughly deceived by GC and left with nothing. Seung Woo seems to do nothing except barge into conversations he has no business interfering in. That scene in ep 29 left no doubt who Seung Woo's father is - so if Jae In gets together with DY, her cousin would be her in-law as well!!!!

I would like the pacing to slowdown and dwell on some parts but for a daily its fine. Nothing's new.

Ahhh I hope Eun Ho is not paying the ultimate price for Se Ri's grudge against Jae In.

SPOILER FOR Heaven's Promise : I was so upset when Na Yeon's daughter died I hoped it wont happen here as well....but looks like Eun Ho is gone.
If so, this will be the turning point for Jae In's character. She will - hopefully-stop being so naive &short sighted. That press conference being blocked was something she should have expected as a chaebol's daughter. She can hardly go up against a large company when she has no power of her own. It was also so naive of her to think Se Ri will yield regarding EH after getting her arrested. No judgement of persons, no judgement about situations. Still she has so far lived a life protected from struggle and misfortunes, so its understandable. Hopefully she'll smarten up now.
Will Monday see us bid goodbye to EH? That damn white truck of doom!

Looks increasingly like posters speculating about the aunt and Seung Woo were right - everything she's doing seems to indicate that.
So many betrayals! Now I'm having a tough time choosing the worst one - the Aunt's or YG's!!! Jae In shading YG by saying she was the one wallowing in misery was the perfect comeback.
As I was expecting Jae In is going to live in Do Yun's house and become a quasi/substitute mother to Bo Ram, making it a perfect setting for them to get together!!!!

Found the latest (ep 22) much more smoother flowing than the last one. Do Yun's revenge arc is feeling a bit weak when he's the saviour at every turn!!!
The legal battles in front of Jae In feel insurmountable; glad the writer didnt dilute the seriousness of her position. Looking forward to seeing the fight for the chairman but of course Gi Chan will win now cos he's sneakier and has been planning for long. YG's betrayal is natural given her resentment but feels worse somehow. I am expecting the aunt to betray, she's so uncommitted; Seung Woo is more vocal but will he also betray? I hope Jae In finally pays heed to her mother's words to trust no one.

True, brave but foolhardy to rush in without a plan. But I can understand why - at that point she was still ruled by emotions.

Yes very true - i was puzzling the same thing. The drama has a 3 month skip point - I presume Do Yun helped Jae In escape shortly after. But between that point and the marriage there's no sense of how much time has passed since we jump from scene to scene. Esp considering Gi Chan & Se Ri's story,that they got together immediately after divorcing (& locking up) Jae In. Maybe todays episode will have more on this; but I gues we'll just need to fill in the blanks as per our imagination!

So we've already entered the second act of the standard makjang plot. I must say it feels a little too rushed. I felt the reveal/confrontation scenes lacked punch (pun intended!) and were too hurried to feel any kick. Its more fun when the betrayals are discovered and peeled one by on. This pacing not handled correctly can result in viewers feeling no emotional investment/connection because it feels so jerky and episodic. Hopefully show runners avoid this from happening.

I particularly have issue with the re-marriage being so soon - logically speaking Gi Chan would have waited until he secures the chairman position before marrying his mistress . But this drama seems to prioritize speed, which i am okay with currently, but still.
Do Yun being her only port of reliable support is an interesting twist but the poignancy of it is lost in how fast everything is moving. I wish we saw more of Do Yun's thoughts on helping Jae In so much. I agree he is not acting inconsistently - he's fundamentally a good person and senses Jae In is being hounded badly. Her own aunt and her half brother seem so uninvolved, you feel sad for Jae In; ironically her crazy obsessed mother is the only one fully on her side.

Lets see how Jae In gets back whatever she's lost particularly custody of her child.

Drama continues to be predictable but thankfully pacing is awesome so far so we are moving full speed ahead. A lot of convenient happenings to make it work,eg Do Yun just happening to get ALL details from a overheard phone call. But OK i guess he did feel uneasy already about Jae In so it kindaaa worked plotwise. Also, the mom asks her lawyer to look up Jae In, so that plot hole remains.

Glad to see the writer explaining why YG went along which I had wondered about in my last comment. What I am having some trouble is neither the aunt nor Seung Woo insisting on seeing Jae In for 3 months. Well, drama's gonna drama. As for Gi Chan, what a kameena, I thought his villainy has been well written. He handles her disappearance perfectly - a worried husband doing everything to help his troubled wife. No overt dramatics. The actor PYJ pulling it off well.

Unlike other comments , I dont see the FL as stupid and deserving of all this. When the unbelievable starts happening, you dont realise it is because those closest to you, the ones you trust utmost(remember GiChan has so far given no reason for Jae In to suspect him as his affair was happening abroad), are the ones stabbing you in the back. You are too close.
Gi Chan and his mother moved fast once she gets suspicious so she never does have time. Also, Jae In never believed her mother cos in her mind her mother cant be trusted since she went so far as to murder someone due to her obsession. Sometimes, we also willfully refuse to face up truths because it is too hard. So I am fine with Jae In - plus, no makjang drama without a naive lead!

Anyway, I quite liked the last scene - fantastic editing of the last shot - them running hand in hand - synced with the music. Gosh, I continue to really really love the ending theme song, I wish they'd release the full song if there is one.

A bit too hurriedly done, but I liked the gaslighting part. Yes, she should have gone to the doc for the dizziness and confusion, but in her defense she likely thought it was weakness from her miscarriage and the cumulative shock of the various traumatic events so far. Im grateful that she at least didnt buy her husband's and Se Ri's lame excuses when she catches them in the office. 😂

The rapid shift from scenes showing her confusion to getting locked up after giving up her rights in one episode feels abrupt, but I can see why the writer moved along quickly - the evil doers need to have their day and the injustices need to pile up before we get to the juicy bit. No point in stretching this obvious part.
Yu Gyeong not helping even a little seems strange (surely as a friend and doc, she should have asked JaeIn to get a check up, and she should have sussed that her MIL is up to something) but likely she is just secretly pleased that the 'princess' is finally having a rough time in her life.

Yes I just did - the first half is great fun, def makjang but way more slicker than this. The second half is awful as the FL turns into a doormat with absolutely no spine, no brains and no solid plan for revenge.

havent watched either of those dramas so not heard them - will add them to my ptw!

Thanks so much! That song has become an earworm, so good

Im glad how quick the pace has become even though its all predictable. I really like Se Ri moving the pieces behind Gi Chan's back as she rightfully doesnt trust him. He & Se Ri are truly made for each other. Its frustrating but I can see why Jae In is completely in the dark - she has lived a sheltered life and trusts people. So in her eyes, her husband cant ever deceive her.
I wonder about Gi Chan's feelings for Jae In - I feel he may not love her does not hate her either. But her (Jae In) revenge is the main one and for Do Yun and Jae In to get together, the divorce needs to happen. So once Gi Chan gets the company he'll divorce.

No major surprises plotwise, but Im liking it so far.

I thought the actor playing Gi Chan was quite bad in the beginning, but his full on villainous side is turning out good. Thank god the chairman is offed, his dialogue delivery AND acting weremaddening. I have seen Promise, so SYJ is as usual, good enough. HEJ is good in places but highly emotional scenes are not her thing at least from what i can gather from these 15 eps. The actor playing Se Ri is the weakest performer. I wish she was better, it would have been juicier