Love Subsequent Door: Episodes 3-4
by missvictrix
This week we get to know our primary characters a bit extra. Whether or not it’s goals they misplaced, goals they forgot, or secrets and techniques they’re making an attempt to maintain, it’s clear our OTP is intertwined in all of the methods… and that they care about one another greater than they faux to not.
EPISODES 3-4
Regardless of being cute and fascinating (I’m having fun with it, I swear!) Week 2 has left me a bit upset with the writing. Whereas I actually just like the thematic focus of every episode, the episodes are beginning to really feel like a bunch of coincidental circumstances and emotional happenings simply to create the crescendo — the scene we got here to see. Certain, plot ought to result in scrumptious moments like this drama is curating for us, however when it begins to really feel fabricated and predictable that’s a touch that the writing isn’t holding up.
In Episode 3 our primary focus is goals. Seung-hyo misplaced his, Seok-ryu can’t discover hers, and by no means the twain shall meet. We study by means of an excellent cute sequence of flashbacks to highschool (which the present spends numerous time doing) that Seung-hyo was an incredible swimmer and even made it onto the nationwide staff. However then when a random Truck of Predictable Swimmer Plot Doom hit him, he had to surrender his dream. Perky Seok-ryu lastly acquired him out of his despair, and truthfully, in case you like this storyline, simply go watch Pretty Runner as an alternative — it’s proof that these tropes can nonetheless have life in case you write them effectively.
Seung-hyo may need misplaced his first dream of swimming, however he really loves his current dream of being an architect, and in these episodes we see his idealism at play (extra on that later). Seok-ryu, although, realizes by means of a sequence of deepish ideas, that she by no means had her personal goals. Her goals have been all the time primarily based on others’ notion of her, or expectations of her, or how her life regarded from the surface. This “reboot” season of hers is proving actually useful for her — I really like that it’s within the quiet and the each day schedule of nothing that she realizes this about herself.
It involves a head when she’s requested by her once-homeroom trainer to talk in entrance of a category of excessive schoolers. As is Seok-ryu’s MO, she leans on their being impressed by her, and her id as an over-achiever. However when she will be able to’t reply their query about what she dreamed of being, that’s when she realizes she doesn’t know herself very effectively. (It is a nice thematic bit, and I hope this stays as Seok-ryu’s main arc!)
As a result of Seok-ryu is an oddball, she believes if solely she will be able to learn the letter she wrote to her future self as a high-schooler, she’ll instantly be capable to reclaim her outdated goals. Everyone knows it doesn’t work like that, however her slapdash, not-so-clever manner of banging by means of life is what makes this character endearing.
Whereas she’s at the highschool, who does she run into however Seung-hyo. He’s there for work, dreaming of placing in a bid to rebuild the college’s gymnasium (aka, the place the place his swimming goals died). All by means of these episodes Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu are in a steady cycle of sparring, bickering, or supporting one another. It’s cute for now, but it surely’ll get outdated quick if that is the primary dynamic of their grownup relationship. So, I’m hoping the present reveals extra maturity between them by the tip of our present. As a result of I shall be severely aggravated if the tip level of our drama is these two bickering like youngsters to the tune of the marriage march. Anyway.
At their highschool, Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu attempt to find and dig up the time capsule (and letters to self) they as soon as buried, but it surely takes the entire episode for it to occur — and truthfully, in case you like this storyline, simply go watch Pretty Runner.
Later, Seung-hyo lastly has the time capsule, and our leads are each coincidentally on the college once more. As a result of it is a Ok-drama, our leads wind up chasing one another across the indoor pool, when Seung-hyo jumps in to flee Seok-ryu’s wrath for studying her letter. Is it me or did it all of a sudden get sizzling in right here? (Critically, what’s it about heroes and swimming pools?) Seok-ryu — who can not swim — jumps in after him, and everyone knows how this goes. There was by no means a pool scene in dramaland that didn’t result in critical sexual pressure and/or skinship, and it’s apparent at this level that this whole plot arc – and whole episode — have been constructing to this second.
After their bickering quiets, we reduce to the pool, the place Seung-hyo is educating Seok-ryu how one can float within the water. This second, in and of itself, is extremely intimate, however then as they’re speaking he asks her if she regrets leaving her big-name firm, and she or he says no. Then he asks if she regrets breaking off her engagement, and she or he says no once more. Simply then, Seok-ryu loses her floating confidence, Seung-hyo grabs her securely, and it’s such an ideal, loaded second that I need to indulge in it for for much longer than the drama lets us. (They squabble their manner out of that scene and break the stress.)
Our subsequent episode continues Seok-ryu’s seek for her goals. However a lot to Seok-ryu’s disappointment (and our non-surprise) hubris-filled teenage Seok-ryu didn’t know her dream then both outdoors of phrases like “greatest” and “prettiest.” Seung-hyo’s letter, nevertheless, reveals a reality we suspected final week: he has liked her since ceaselessly and truthfully, in case you like this storyline, simply go watch Pretty Runner. “However not anymore!” Seung-hyo tries to persuade himself, being all types of awkward making an attempt to cover the letter from Seok-ryu, and the contents of the letter from his personal coronary heart. Good luck with that.
Whereas all this dream-searching and time collectively is occurring, there’s lots happening within the background for Seung-hyo and his firm Atelier In. He’s moved again to his mother and father home as a result of plot causes, and their household surroundings is as chilly as ice and a stark distinction to the loud, emotional, vibrant home Seok-ryu grew up in subsequent door. At work, his firm is struggling, and Seung-hyo’s excessive beliefs received’t pay for his or her model new constructing or wacky worker.
Sadly/thankfully, Seung-hyo would quite work on the highschool gymnasium reworking challenge for nostalgia and closure when there’s additionally a mega deal on their plate to construct some luxurious housing. Seung-hyo can actually not abdomen the snobbery of those folks, and as that prospect crashes and burns, he has an argument along with his associate YOON MYUNG-WOO (Jeon Suk-ho) in regards to the firm. Simply after they’re persevering with to flail, one other deal seems on the horizon: a constructing for… Greip! That’s proper, the very firm that Seok-ryu left. And to cite her straight, she’s undecided “if I stop or they pressured me out.”
It’s at this level the place this week’s writing actually suffered for me — and I don’t imply the motley try at business-level English, though that was fairly dangerous too — however simply general, this whole arc felt contrived. Of all the businesses to achieve out, it’s Seok-ryu’s. Of all of the folks to ship them the e-mail expressing curiosity, it’s a girl Seok-ryu is aware of. And after they all meet collectively in Seoul, who seems however a slimy ex-coworker CHRIS who as soon as made a dwelling mockery out of her. (Okay, factors to the author for this man not being her ex-fiancé, which I used to be satisfied was taking place at first).
In case you’re questioning why Seok-ryu is attending enterprise conferences with Seung-hyo and Myung-woo, it’s as a result of they employed her on the spot to assist them with their English and with any intelligence she had round Greip to assist them win the bid. Seok-ryu tries to speak Seung-hyo out of it, telling him they’re an terrible firm and she or he overheard that the bid is only for present, however his beliefs maintain and he stays the course.
This all culminates in an enormous mess of a gathering between Greip and Atelier In the place the tensions rise the extra this Chris character acts out. And the present-day scene is interspersed with the humiliation Seok-ryu handled from him again within the U.S., and Seok-ryu is so traumatized she will get up and runs out.
Seok-ryu’s upsetness results in a confrontation with Chris which results in the second this was all written for: Seung-hyo rushes onto the scene in hero mode and protects her whereas Seok-ryu places Chris in his place. Lengthy story brief, it truly ends fairly effectively. The opposite Greip rep seems to be fairly human in spite of everything, and never solely does Chris get fired, however the bid for one of many buildings is awarded to Atelier In.
That is all effectively and good, however this whole arc simply felt so pressured, from the best way Seok-ryu was all of a sudden working for them to the best way the reps have been all of a sudden in Korea for a gathering. The passage of time felt off from the remainder of the drama, however I assume if the only real function was for Seung-hyo’s (extremely engaging) protectiveness to return out, I assume it was price it? (Dramas are made for these moments, in spite of everything; I’m simply used to robust lead-up, I feel).
Frankly I’m additionally a bit of upset with our second lead loveline. After final week, paramedic Mo-eum left heart-eyes in reporter KANG DAN-HO (Yoon Ji-on) after her kindness, and I liked the place we have been heading.
This week, Dan-ho does the identical for Mo-eum — attracting her consideration with random kindness — however she doesn’t know the “superhero” she’s crushing on is him. And that is the place it will get annoying, as a result of the 2 characters who have been constructed on selfless kindness and generosity are all of a sudden performing uncharacteristically petty this week. What occurs is that Dan-ho’s simply moved into their neighborhood, and each time he heads to the comfort retailer, he and Mo-eum need the very same merchandise and get right into a squabble over it. I’m so over their squabbles already, and the approaching disclose to Mo-eum that that is her dream man holds little or no attraction, truly. Let’s hope they alter it up subsequent week as a result of I used to be having fun with the random acts of kindness that have been bringing them collectively; it was a refreshing little bit of meet-cute, and I would like it again.
Talking of {couples} coming collectively, that’s the observe we finish on for Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu, too. In a little bit of mirroring, we see how Seok-ryu glomped Seung-hyo when he received his swim competitors again within the day. And now, within the current, she glomps him once more when he will get the Greip deal. Poor Seung-hyo can barely hold it collectively, so maybe he’s able to admit to himself that the contents of the letter he wrote in highschool are nonetheless extraordinarily present.
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