Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching (March 16, 2024)

by DB Staff

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

javabeans

The Impossible Heir: I have to revise what I said in my first impressions — Hong Su-ju IS the worst. Is she trying to be smug all the time, or is that just her natural state? She annoyed me so much every time she came onscreen that it overtook the plot, and I figured I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life. That impatience might have been mitigated if the boys ever seemed to do cool master plan stuff more than they talked about cool master plan stuff. But alas.

Reborn Rich: On the other hand, watching The Impossible Heir reminded me I hadn’t finished Reborn Rich, which turned out to be a much more enjoyable experience, and vastly more bingeable. It was satisfying on several levels: the revenge plot, the persistent anti-one-percent sentiment (seriously, eat the rich), the cat-and-mouse games of constant one-upmanship between foes, the retro nostalgia play, the fact that Song Joong-ki is somehow just as convincing (if not more) playing twenty as he is playing forty. I was in the mood for a juicy revenge and this one largely delivered, despite some feelings about the ending that I’ll get to in a minute. I loved the premise of a loyal lackey being betrayed despicably by his rich employers, then finding himself reincarnated into their fold thirty years in the past and armed with all the knowledge to take them down from the inside. *rubs hands together in glee* We saw how every member of the chaebol family was awful in their own ways (both in general and specifically to Lackey Song Joong-ki in the 2023 timeline) — and not only did they deserve their downfalls, I enjoyed that the drama made them quite complicit in their own comeuppances. The drama also managed a deft balance between hinting that Reincarnated Grandson Song Joong-ki always had a master plan, while also letting us occasionally believe he’d been outplayed, because it wouldn’t have been fun if he was always winning easily. Sure, he had the benefit of foresight and knowledge of future events — and it was thrilling to have the satisfaction of knowing future outcomes along with him — but he was one person against an institution, and the drama never let us forget that even with his advantages, he was still David against Goliath. Did I understand the stock manipulations, the corporate maneuverings, the mechanisms behind the power plays? Not specifically, but I let the drama explain what it was doing and didn’t think too hard about whether it was true to real-life economics. Even more than the chaebol revenge, I was impressed with the complex relationship development between Grandson Song Joong-ki and his tough-as-nails chairman grandfather, the patriarch who started it all who should have been the origin of all his grief. Yet Grandson Song Joong-ki turned out to be the only one really worthy of Chairman Grandpa’s respect, and they cultivated a fascinating rapport that blurred the lines — after living nearly twenty years in a second identity, at what point does it cease becoming a disguise or cover, and at what point does it become a part of your sense of self? For that reason, I found peace in the resolution despite some initial twinges of disappointment. The simple, bloodthirsty side of me wanted Chaebol Grandson to obliterate his family from the inside out and even the scales using his new life in a way he couldn’t as the poor, disadvantaged lackey. So it was bittersweet that when the chaebol group finally crumbled, it was at the expense of Chaebol Grandson — it was rather crushing that he had to be the sacrifice that precipitated the downfall of the family. If I had to choose which Song Joong-ki I thought deserved to live, it would have been the chaebol, not the lackey. But that’s the fantasy, isn’t it? We’re messy and selfish and full of regrets in our first go-around at life, and the reincarnated timeline is our wishful thinking for how we would live when we have all the answers, all the resources, and truth on our side. On a poetic level, I appreciate the way the drama defined his reincarnation in terms of repentance. If Chaebol Grandson had meted out his revenge perfectly, it would have been fun but puzzling — why had he been reborn in the first place? Was it all too easy? The ending we got was tinged with sadness, but it provided some closure on the fantasy time-loop device by giving meaning to both lives and leaving us with hope for a future that looks a little brighter than we’d initially left it.

Queen of Tears: This is an interesting one so far. It’s got that premium K-drama flash ‘n’ dazzle and the cast chock full of talent; the dialogue snaps and the scenes are aesthetically beautiful to look at. It feels engineered to be a massive hit. But the setup feels a little off-the-mark for me, and I’m conscious of this niggling sense of dissatisfaction while also making allowances for the drama to make up for it as the plot thickens. The characters aren’t fully working for me yet but I expect that there is a ton of development to come, and I think there’s enough here with writing and acting and production value that it will make the turn successfully. If anything, I don’t think it’s bad characterization so much as it’s a miscalculation of plot reveals, throwing us into the absolute rock bottom of this marriage without any context for the happy days (the bratty intern moments do not fulfill this criteria), leaving me scratching my head as to why I should care that this marriage is in crisis. For instance, our female lead character is fully awful, even though I know this extreme representation is intentional and we are being misdirected by seeing it through the eyes of a somewhat unreliable narrator. (Unreliable in the sense that our perspective is extremely limited — we’re kept out of the loop in order to think the worst of her, and the drama looks like it’ll be making piecemeal reveals to show us the bigger picture. But honestly, I could use a little help here because I feel like I’m making excuses for her and the show hasn’t earned my trust yet.) Casting is so key here, because I think Kim Ji-won carries this unpalatable character as well as could be hoped for; in the hands of a lesser actor I think this drama would be sunk, but somehow I still have hope for her. This is a hallmark of writer Park Ji-eun’s dramas that I can appreciate — her female leads are unapologetic and interesting. On the other hand, we’re primed to sympathize with Kim Soo-hyun as the man who married for love only to find out he’s nothing more than a trophy husband. But his glee at finding out his wife is dying (leaving him free and clear) and his subsequent playacting at doting caretaker left a sour taste in my mouth — another case of miscalculation, where the drama went for the comedic element at the expense of character. (I’m sure the show is making a satirical commentary by gender-reversing its marriage politics but I’m not sure I find it successful in this regard because it’s trying for both the satire and the gag, and sometimes they conflict.) In conclusion: I have faith in this drama but it’s on a limited timeline.

missvictrix

Currently covering: The Impossible Heir

Queen of Tears: Hotly anticipated and… hotly dropped after Episode 1. Yes, it was great, the premise is refreshing, I love the cast, and I got a good LOL out of the meta. But I’m on a personal No Terminal Illnesses campaign right now, so this trope came as quite the unwelcome shock. In my dramaland days of yore I watched so many terminal illness romance-melos, and I’m still completely traumatized needing my main characters not to die. So everyone please enjoy this drama loud enough for me to hear from over here.

DaebakGrits

Currently covering: Flex x Cop

Chicken Nugget: I’m only one episode in (and I will have to watch the rest later this weekend), but — OMG! What did I just watch!? It’s (so far) the best kind of ridiculous, and because I watched this on my lunch break, I had to explain to my co-workers that I was watching a show about a girl who got turned into a chicken nugget. My co-workers all think I’m crazy now, but they assure me that they mean it endearingly.

Wedding Impossible: The longer I watch this drama, the more anxious I get that Ah-jung’s fake marriage is going to reach a point of no return and things are going to publically implode for one or more of the leading characters. This is one of those stories, where I know it will end happily, but to get there the story is first going to drag me through a series of lies and misunderstandings that will likely drive me bonkers. And then there’s Chae-won. At times, I like her and feel bad that she won’t be Ji-han’s end game, but then she goes and makes a secret deal with his grandfather, and then I’m like, “Oh, you’re going to have a jealous streak, aren’t you?” I’m here for Ah-jung and Ji-han’s banter, but I can only take so much unnecessary drama.

Doctor Slump: This is a nice healing drama, but this probably won’t be a classic for me. I appreciate that it addresses topics like depression and PTSD, but, for me at least, the whole operation murder kind of detracted from that.

Dramaddictally

Currently covering: Wedding Impossible

Queen of Tears: Hmm, after months of anticipation, I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I love every second that the leads are on screen together, but everything surrounding them… meh. The business-y stuff, the screaming jailbird auntie, and even the setup put me off a little. Initially, I was intrigued by the chaebol female lead, with a hero that takes the Cinderella role, but then again, the story would be much harder to accept or laugh at if the positions were switched. We’ve already seen how hard the story is pushing the male lead as the “protector,” so I’m not sure how daring of a choice this is. All that being said, how can anyone resist Kim Soo-hyun’s adorably funny characterization here? I’m so happy to have him and Kim Ji-won back on my screen that I’ll probably put up with a lot. Plus, all the surprise appearances in the premiere week added a dose of needed fun. I think just a few more scenes of Kim Soo-hyun crying around about how cute he is and I can probably be convinced to stick this one out to the end.

 
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