Jeongnyeon – The Star is Born: Episodes 9-10
by mistyisles
Within the wake of tragedy, our forged of characters wrestle to navigate guilt, denial, despair, and eager for what virtually was. However whereas some goals appear irreparably damaged, others might but be salvaged and changed into one thing new.
EPISODES 7-8
It’s a somber penultimate week as everybody offers with the aftermath of Jeong-nyeon’s self-destruction in their very own methods. Younger-seo and Ju-ran are awarded the coveted roles, however there’s no pleasure within the victory for both of them. Ju-ran is just too overwhelmed with guilt to face Jeong-nyeon, even after the latter is discharged from the hospital, and Younger-seo convinces herself she hasn’t earned the half and decides to drop out. It doesn’t assist that her mom admits to bribing the judges and lining up the “alternative” for Younger-seo to switch to the extra prestigious nationwide troupe after the joint manufacturing.
This last straw breaks Younger-seo’s final hope of successful her mom’s approval. “I’m my very own individual!” she cries as she informs her mom she’ll be selecting her personal path. It takes phrases of affirmation from each Troupe Chief Kang and Jeong-nyeon to steer Younger-seo to not drop out of the present. Simply because Jeong-nyeon tousled her personal probability (and Cho-rok’s, although that’s not likely acknowledged) doesn’t imply Younger-seo didn’t earn hers, and it’s time for her to cease letting her mom outline her value.
At first, it appears not even wrecked vocal chords can dim Jeong-nyeon’s gentle. She stays upbeat, insisting the physician was mistaken when he stated her singing would by no means be the identical. However she additionally spends her spare time getting second, third, and tenth opinions, and as time goes on and not one of the medical doctors can provide a miracle treatment, her optimism erodes.
She will get determined sufficient to virtually attempt one physician’s suggestion of opium, which is when Troupe Chief Kang intervenes. She takes Jeong-nyeon to 1 final physician with the settlement that if he can’t do something for her, Jeong-nyeon should settle for that nothing may be completed. Sadly, that’s precisely what he says, however Jeong-nyeon nonetheless isn’t prepared to listen to it. Troupe Chief Kang begs and pleads and screams at her to simply accept actuality for the sake of her sanity (and everybody else’s at this level), and Jeong-nyeon leaves the following morning with out saying goodbye.
She goes house to take consolation in her sister’s arms and ask recommendation from the one one who is aware of precisely what she’s going by — her mom. All her mom can advise is to maintain placing one foot in entrance of the opposite, so Jeong-nyeon returns to her outdated lifetime of promoting fish, however with an air of complete hopelessness.
The one individual to lastly get again by to her is Younger-seo, who brings alongside the document of Jeong-nyeon’s mom singing in hopes of reigniting Jeong-nyeon’s spark. It really works, in a roundabout approach — Younger-seo tosses it within the ocean when Jeong-nyeon rebuffs her, after which has to fish Jeong-nyeon out as a result of she dove in after it regardless of being unable to swim. Finally, Jeong-nyeon finishes venting her anger, Younger-seo confesses that she was at all times extra intimidated by Jeong-nyeon’s performing expertise than by her singing, they usually cozy up in Younger-seo’s coat to take pleasure in one another’s presence for as soon as. Younger-seo guarantees to attend so long as it takes for Jeong-nyeon to come back again.
Finally, Jeong-nyeon does resolve to come back again — however this time, she’s decided to get her mom’s blessing first. That’s no small feat, however Jeong-nyeon has Troupe Chief Kang advocating on her behalf. Perhaps it’s the best way Troupe Chief Kang says in the identical breath you gave up too simply and I missed you terribly, or perhaps it’s her confidence that if anybody will help Jeong-nyeon discover her voice once more, it’s her mom. Both approach, Mother’s coronary heart softens.
After she catches Jeong-nyeon getting up in the course of the night time to attempt to sing, she shares the story of an outdated pansori grasp who “sang with a voice he didn’t have.” That’s, he sang in a approach that was each technically missing and emotionally highly effective. Mother suggests Jeong-nyeon discover a solution to “fill the gaps” in her voice — even when it’s with tears and sighs. After which, because the solar begins to rise, she sings. It’s uncooked, and “damaged,” and hauntingly lovely.
Interspersed with Jeong-nyeon’s journey by grief, this week additionally follows Okay-gyung on a spiral of her personal. It begins after the disastrous audition, when Hye-rang finds Okay-gyung bleeding within the bathtub. Hye-rang can’t perceive why Okay-gyung cares a lot about Jeong-nyeon, however Okay-gyung says bitterly that the individual making her so distraught is Hye-rang, who has ruined what little hope Okay-gyung had present in watching Jeong-nyeon.
Lest we neglect she solely mentored Jeong-nyeon to alleviate her personal boredom, Okay-gyung writes Jeong-nyeon off as a misplaced trigger and approaches Younger-seo with a proposal: “If I left the troupe, would you include me?” Younger-seo declines in favor of ready for Jeong-nyeon — the one one who really understands and challenges her to carry out at her easiest — and Okay-gyung sadly accepts that she by no means has and perhaps by no means will discover somebody like that for herself.
Fearing that Okay-gyung is being scouted, Troupe Chief Kang guarantees to let her select the troupe’s subsequent manufacturing. Though Okay-gyung says it’s probably the most tempting provide she’s ever obtained, there’s a tough edge to her smile, and right here’s the place I began to fret she may do one thing drastic. She and Hye-rang take the stage, and someplace across the time her disillusioned character guarantees to provide his princess “one final victory,” it turns into clear that the story they’re performing out — which ends within the loss of life of Okay-gyung’s character — instantly mirrors their actuality.
Solely after they’ve given the efficiency of their lives, when Hye-rang is at her happiest, does Okay-gyung drop the bomb: she’s leaving gukgeuk for movie and their relationship is over. Then she drives away and leaves Hye-rang sobbing on the street. Chilly as it’s, although, I can’t assist however really feel relieved that Okay-gyung is getting out of gukgeuk earlier than it kills her. It means betraying Troupe Chief Kang, who stood by her when nobody else would, but it surely additionally (I hope, for her sake) means escaping the stagnation that was stifling her.
Total, I’ve blended emotions about this week’s episodes that I’m undecided I can totally untangle earlier than I see the way it all ends. However I’ll say that Jeongnyeon – The Star is Born seems like a love letter to the performing arts, and to the form of ardour for one’s craft that may be simply as harmful as it’s life-giving. It’s not with out its faults, however — just like the pansori grasp who touched folks’s hearts regardless of his technically “damaged” voice — this story has touched me profoundly, and I’m not wanting ahead to having to say goodbye subsequent week. And on that word — what do I’ve to do to observe this forged in an precise full-length stage present?
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