Queen of Tears had a very good start. A promising rating and a very interesting premise.
First of, I was thinking, why was the title Queen of Tears? After the second episode, I think I have an idea.
Hong Hae In has always had a cold, strong demeanor. And she never shows any emotion at all. I don't think she ever shed a tear (well, we're still on episode 2, so who knows?) but her circumstances are so tragic, its quite tearful for our female lead.
Her own mother can't stand her and blames her for her sibling's death. I'm pretty sure this death gave her trauma. Her family hates her guts and is quite a stressful bunch. She has an incurable disease. And the biggest sadness of it all? Her husband, who she thought wants her to live, actually hopes for the opposite.
It's good to note that the two are from different worlds. Hyunwoo was the one who was forced to join hers (as she is the chaebol here) so he had to adapt to that lifestyle and to that world. While HaeIn did not have to adjust at all. She has always been comfortable. So it seems Hyunwoo felt trapped in this relationship and wants out, while she, not having to change anything, felt normal as before.
Like mentioned earlier, HaeIn has always been very professional, even to family. And she says what she wants, quite straightforward with it, too. But it seems when it comes to Hyunwoo, she cannot express her feelings. Why can't she communicate her true feelings towards him? Even to her husband, she seems distant and aloof. But she truly cares, and she shows it in small, unobvious ways.
While Hyunwoo, has been expressive from the time he noticed her as an intern until the time he confessed. But after 3 years, it seems he was disillusioned. He's not ready for this world, given his upbringing and family background. He fell out of love. He wants out. He feels obligated to be part of this family and their corporation. And even if Haein protects him the best she could, he cannot understand that.
But you see, she loves him. Why else would she marry someone "not on her level" if she doesn't? After these years, I don't think it has changed. And it's seen in the
play of colors in scenes where they are together talking of something important to their relationship.
In their relationship, looks like Hyunwoo always makes the first move and HaeIn has been so used to this that she did not see a reason to change. Ever since, she only makes a move when he stops trying. Like when he learned who she really is, and he ghosted her. She went to their town (in a helicopter no less) and made her move.
But this time I think Hyunwoo really is tired of the life he's been living after marriage. That scene, where both of them were on the door, Hae In was waiting for Hyunwoo to open the door first as he always makes the first move. But he did not. And the disappointment and loneliness in her eyes says it all.
And then the sad news happened. This is a different story.
At first I thought, was this a last attempt to keep Hyunwoo in love with her? But it turned out to be true and he had a chance to leave this family without even having to go through a would-be very controversial divorce.
Now, Hyunwoo's attempt at being extra caring and kind to Hae In (maybe because of relief that he did not have to be the one to break up), I feel will backfire. He will start to heal, look at her in a different light and will fall in love with her once again.
What's so sad here is that she already has a few episodes of memory loss and headaches. But nobody, even her family, has never noticed anything. Most especially her husband. But she still decides to tell him. And only him. In a way, this is a sign of trust. But sadly again, he was happy about it.
But then again, as devastating as it is, she suspects him from the start (it seems she never really trusts anybody). But even so she did not shut him down, she lets him in and showed her seemingly vulnerable side. She thinks he's being dramatic but deep inside we know she appreciates his gesture. She lets him take him away from the dinner table when she was being "attacked" by her mother. She accepts the flowers and even asks for a vase to put it in.
She never really makes the first move, unless she feels the need to do so. She never felt loved and protected but I guess in a way she felt that with her husband. When she overheard her parents talk about her and her sibling, she decided to change that. She entered Hyunwoo's room first, saw what he was researching on and felt so happy that her husband truly loved her, or so she thought.
What will be shattering is if she learned that this was not true at all. And her vulnerability showed as she admitted how scared she was after the diagnosis. How heartbreaking to see how happy she was just because her husband wants her to stay alive. That smile was genuine.
I am truly looking forward to seeing how Hyunwoo will change, and how HaeIn will eventually open up more. In the course of this 3 months where he will show his care and love for his wife (although fake), he will eventually find his true feelings, which made him marry her in the first place. And she will get to open up more, as she learns to convey her feelings more openly, once she sees the sincerity in his actions.
The ex? He will pave the way for Hyunwoo to realize how much he still loves his wife. She is his and his alone. An nothing can take her away from him.
UPDATE:
And then we learn about her unborn baby. We learn about how she could've been a mother on October 31. We learn how they could've been parents on that day. We see Hyunwoo's grief. But haven't seen hers. She may be crying inside and not let anyone see her.
By the end of the series, I hope the tears that will be shed are tears of happiness and not of despair as is with the start of the drama. And I am here for that.
INSPIRATION FOR ARTICLE - @hannagyeongs
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