This review may contain spoilers
Theatre of the absurd?
It's hard not to compare The Affair Was Just The Beginning to Mad Concrete Dreams - both came out in 2026, and both ultimately use a situation careening out of control as a major story element. Whereas MCD uses that situation for more sympathetic ends, treating it as actions done by a father trying to provide for his family and specifically his daughter, The Affair swings the complete other way. And by god is it for the show's benefit.
No one in this show is a good person. Everyone is willing to backstab each other, to sell each other up the river in order to buy themselves just enough time to get out of the situation they are in. Yes, even the kids. But the adults in the room are nowhere near that - even if they ultimately *try* to protect their children from the act that they committed, they are still willing to ignore so much else to keep up the pretenses of their charmed life together. But where the drama really comes into it's own is the back half of the final episode, where everything is ultimately revealed and the audience, alongside the characters, learn that it was all for naught. That three people are dead for no other reason then the mess that was made wasn't even theirs to clean up.
Considering the pure absurdity on display, you ultimately need to have a core of actors that are willing to get up for the task. Kim Hye-soo lives up to it all and is able to effectively sell being a composed career women one minute, and a vindicative bitch the other. Kim Ji Hoon definitely come to play, as does Kim Jae Chul and Cho Yeo Jung. But in my mind, the true standouts is the two child actors, Do Yeong So and Jeon Si Hyun. I generally have a dim view of Korean writers being able to weave a queer storyline in a way that is ultimately effective for story purposes and not just for shock value (to be frank I think the same for Western writers) and especially considering the age of the two girls, it could have easily gone down a terrible road. But it's done in a way that feels honest and true - and it does eventually play into the wider story as yet another element of a rabbit hole of disjointed information coming into view. It certainly is a joy to see the parents incredulous that their daughters could be in love, and dating on the side.
What really buoys this drama though, is the cinematography and the craft of it all. Korean dramas, even now compared to say, the 'golden' era of the late 2000's and early 2010's Hallyu Wave, can definitely be hit a lot with the stick of being incredibly bland on that front. Considering the inner workings of Korean dramas still being filmed more or less in the moment, it is to The Affair's benefit that there is a deliberate, Swiss watch precision in terms of shot composition. A review below pins it as a Coen brothers sort of aesthetic, and that is without question the best descriptor for The Affair - and also a great compliment to the director and writers that they are able to weave such a deliberate thematic and compositional style without it feeling like a cheap imitation.
More then anything though, what I appreciate most about this story is the length. It's eight episodes of very little fat - every moment is dedicated to the story, either in the moment or wider scope. There's very little navel-gazing, and it's almost certain that any writer or director could have very easily taken one wrong step and done the drama equivalent of rolling their ankle. Certainly have watched a fair few dramas where the writers figure they are smarter then the audience and string things out to the point of popping the balloon and leaving audiences running for the door. The Affair doesn't do that, and it's a wonderful feeling to watch a show have faith in its ability to bring the audiences along for the way, and stick the landing too.
I haven't been watching Korean dramas again for long - really since the beginning of this year - but it is clear that this ranks as one of the finest I'll watch this year. And it's easily going top three, it's that good. Do yourself a favor and watch this. You'll be glad you did.
No one in this show is a good person. Everyone is willing to backstab each other, to sell each other up the river in order to buy themselves just enough time to get out of the situation they are in. Yes, even the kids. But the adults in the room are nowhere near that - even if they ultimately *try* to protect their children from the act that they committed, they are still willing to ignore so much else to keep up the pretenses of their charmed life together. But where the drama really comes into it's own is the back half of the final episode, where everything is ultimately revealed and the audience, alongside the characters, learn that it was all for naught. That three people are dead for no other reason then the mess that was made wasn't even theirs to clean up.
Considering the pure absurdity on display, you ultimately need to have a core of actors that are willing to get up for the task. Kim Hye-soo lives up to it all and is able to effectively sell being a composed career women one minute, and a vindicative bitch the other. Kim Ji Hoon definitely come to play, as does Kim Jae Chul and Cho Yeo Jung. But in my mind, the true standouts is the two child actors, Do Yeong So and Jeon Si Hyun. I generally have a dim view of Korean writers being able to weave a queer storyline in a way that is ultimately effective for story purposes and not just for shock value (to be frank I think the same for Western writers) and especially considering the age of the two girls, it could have easily gone down a terrible road. But it's done in a way that feels honest and true - and it does eventually play into the wider story as yet another element of a rabbit hole of disjointed information coming into view. It certainly is a joy to see the parents incredulous that their daughters could be in love, and dating on the side.
What really buoys this drama though, is the cinematography and the craft of it all. Korean dramas, even now compared to say, the 'golden' era of the late 2000's and early 2010's Hallyu Wave, can definitely be hit a lot with the stick of being incredibly bland on that front. Considering the inner workings of Korean dramas still being filmed more or less in the moment, it is to The Affair's benefit that there is a deliberate, Swiss watch precision in terms of shot composition. A review below pins it as a Coen brothers sort of aesthetic, and that is without question the best descriptor for The Affair - and also a great compliment to the director and writers that they are able to weave such a deliberate thematic and compositional style without it feeling like a cheap imitation.
More then anything though, what I appreciate most about this story is the length. It's eight episodes of very little fat - every moment is dedicated to the story, either in the moment or wider scope. There's very little navel-gazing, and it's almost certain that any writer or director could have very easily taken one wrong step and done the drama equivalent of rolling their ankle. Certainly have watched a fair few dramas where the writers figure they are smarter then the audience and string things out to the point of popping the balloon and leaving audiences running for the door. The Affair doesn't do that, and it's a wonderful feeling to watch a show have faith in its ability to bring the audiences along for the way, and stick the landing too.
I haven't been watching Korean dramas again for long - really since the beginning of this year - but it is clear that this ranks as one of the finest I'll watch this year. And it's easily going top three, it's that good. Do yourself a favor and watch this. You'll be glad you did.
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