REVIEW: ‘Queen Of Tears’ Episodes 1-2

Marriage takes work. Once the honeymoon period is over, the rose-colored glasses come off. Sometimes, what we see once that veil is lifted is entirely different than we imagined. In Netflix’s latest Kdrama, Queen of Tears, Kim Soo-Hyun‘s Baek Hyeon-Woo deals exactly with this. Marrying into the conglomerate Queens Group is a nightmare rather than a blessing. And, in Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2, he goes through a myriad of emotions surrounding his marriage to Hong Hae-In (Kim Ji-Won) and tragic news surrounding her health.

Queen of Tears Episode 1 focuses on establishing the tense atmosphere between Hyeon-Woo and Hae-In post-marriage. It’s been three years since their wedding, and the dynamic is nothing like Hyeon-Woo expected. He’s at the beck and call of his in-laws and his wife. The couple sleep in separate beds on opposite sides of the familial home. Those who marry into the family are expected to give up everything for the sake of the Queens Group, but any who try to leave have their lives completely ruined. Hyeon-Woo wants desperately to leave, though.

Kim Soo-Hyun’s performance immediately highlights the depth of Hyeon-Woo. His role oscillates between comedy and drama, with Soo-Hyun finding the natural balance to massage those beats when necessary. Whether sobbing on the side of the road or standing up to his wife, this man is on the brink of crumbling. His happiness depends on getting away from the Queens Group. Even after his family warns him that divorcing is too extreme, Hyeon-Woo finally musters up the strength to serve Hae-In divorce papers. But things change when she drops a bomb on him at the end of Episode 1.

Hae-In, for her part, is incredibly straightforward to the point of rudeness. In Episode 1, it appears she’s never undergone adversity outside of the internship she takes on at Queens Group. The internship introduces her to Hyeon-Woo, and she is completely inept at her job. This hopelessness leads Hyeon-Woo to feel attraction for her, but it is clear he doesn’t know who she is when they first meet. Of course, in the present day, he is fully aware of who she is and all of her character flaws. At least, that’s what he thinks initially.

At the end of Episode 1, Hae-In reveals she is terminally ill and that she only has three months to live. This provides the out Hyeon-Woo thinks he needs to escape from Queens Group. Three months is nothing compared to being tied to them for the rest of his life. However, Queen of Tears Episode 2 aims to explore Hae-In’s initial shock and disbelief surrounding her mortality while Hyeon-Woo sifts through his own emotions.

While Queen of Tears Episode 1 explores more of Hyeon-Woo’s perspective, Episode 2 unpeels Hae-In’s layers and her thoughts. She explains to Hyeon-Woo how she receives the news, and here we see how she’s been operating. All Hae-In has ever done is work and push forward to uplift the Queens Group. But in recent months, she’s been missing chunks of time. At first, it’s in tiny chunks. But then she starts to miss important meetings because of these moments of time-wasting stasis. It’s a reminder that money, prestige, and doing everything right can’t protect anyone from sudden health issues. Dismissing her health issues is likely what has brought Hae-In to this point.

At one point, Hyeon-Woo asks her whether she’ll inform her family of the health issues, and she says no. Through Queen of Tears Episode 2, the audience learns why. The family is a mess, and Hae-In has a target on her back. Her brother, Hong Soo-Chul (Kwak Dong-Yeon), seems fairly chill in personality, but his lack of smarts and financial success have him constantly overshadowed by Hae-In. Hae-In’s mother, Kim Sun-Hwa (Na Young-Hee), arguably despises Hae-In. She shows little compassion for Hae-In’s mentioning of a personal emergency and, at one point in Episode 2, threatens to sue her in what reads as a retaliatory gesture.

Her family prioritizes only what benefits them. Hae-In has already upset the balance by marrying Hyeon-Woo, but she is silently struggling. The only one appearing at her side to support her is Hyeon-Woo, even if he has ulterior motives for doing so. Her vulnerability post-diagnosis opens her up to being exploited, and it seems that a new romantic contender may be stepping in right when she’s inwardly spiraling. This contender? Former school classmate Yoon Eun-Sung (Park Sung-Hoon).

At an important networking gathering that will help push Hae-In’s sales, she runs into Eun-Sung. Her frankness dazzles him, but Eun-Sung’s competitiveness sparks when Hyeon-Woo comes to the gathering to support Hae-In. Eun-Sung pays specific attention to Hae-In throughout the evening, seemingly fueled by an exchange with Hyeon-Woo in private. This sparks jealousy in Hyeon-Woo, who may not be as out of love with Hae-In as he thinks.

Queen of Tears Episode 2 ends with a tension-ridden moment. Hae-In and her family, with Eun-Sung in tow, travel to a remote island for their annual hunting trip. There’s a competition to see who will kill the most. Hae-In always aims to win to prove herself the best, which Hyeon-Woo points out. Why is it necessary for her to keep vying for familial approval? Someone tampers with the boar hunting area, setting up Hae-In for danger. Making matters worse is that she has another hallucination, a side effect of her terminal illness that opens her up to attack.

Hyeon-Woo, though, has been keeping his eye on her. He knows how vulnerable she is, whether or not she chooses to accept it. Just as a CGI boar is about to attack Hae-In, Hyeon-Woo saves her. Up to this point, he’s been made fun of for refusing to hunt, with the men of her family dismissing him as deficient in response. However, this moment proves he is more than capable and that his refusal to hunt has always been a giant middle finger to the family’s expectations. This heroic act may convince the couple that there is still love between them.

Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2 establishes an interesting relationship dynamic. Typically, in Kdramas focusing on love between people of different classes, they focus on everything prior to marriage. We rarely see much of what happens after someone marries into a conglomerate family. In Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2, we see the wear and tear on a couple whose relationship originally went against all expectations. It’s an interesting exploration that almost seems to want to highlight to viewers who don’t even think of dreaming of marrying up. But that’s not what’s happening here.

No, Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2 is writer Park Ji-Eun’s way of saying push against all odds. If the love is strong and worth fighting for, the universe will find a way to shine a light on it. It’s going to be messy. It’s going to be scary. But the relationship may be the better for it. Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2 sets things up for that exploration, but the framework is well-established. It’s to be expected from one of the most successful Kdrama writers in the business.

Queen of Tears Episodes 1-2 presents an intriguing, thought-provoking relationship that will leave people wondering whether or not the couple will truly persevere. It’s fair to say that this latest Kdrama will be the one to watch this spring.

Queen of Tears Episodes 1-14 are now available on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Saturdays and Sundays.