REVIEW: ‘Queen of Tears’ Episodes 7-8

The hardest part of watching the ones we love get sick is seeing them lose bits and pieces of themselves. Whether it’s the will to live or even their memory, watching our loved ones fade into someone we don’t recognize is heartbreaking. This is something writer Park Ji-Eun and actors Kim Soo-Hyun and Kim Ji-Won capture beautifully in Queen of Tears Episodes 7-8. This exquisite gut-punch portrayal makes the otherwise movie-length long episodes worth sitting through.

Taking place where we previously left off, Hong Hae-In (Kim Ji-Won) is processing Baek Hyeon-Woo’s (Kim Soo-Hyun) betrayal. His desire to get a divorce is the ultimate smack in the face. The past few weeks of him catering to her, in her eyes, were all lies. Even as she asks for him to explain on the streets of Germany, there is no room for her to listen. Regardless of the reasons why, it doesn’t matter. Hyeon-Woo is a traitor to her. This attitude permeates Queen of Tears Episode 7, but first, she needs to crash.

Despite Hyeon-Woo’s efforts to fix things, it’s like a light has been snuffed out in Hae-In. The next day, they try the treatment again. As the German doctor explains that the white blood cell treatment isn’t working, he mentions to Hyeon-Woo that patients need something to hold onto to keep going. As it turns out, Hyeon-Woo knows the exact thing to motivate Hae-In. After she ends treatment early and decides to return to Korea, Hyeon-Woo notes the change. Even when he saves her from getting hit in the middle of the street, she tells him to stop saving her.

It is at this moment that he lashes out. All the motivation that originally inspired Hyeon-Woo to want to divorce her spills out. He attacks her character, her family, and everything, which is hard to hear. But for Hae-In, it’s no different from what her mother and brother have attacked all these years. Hyeon-Woo knows this, and, ultimately, this decision to dump all of his resentment on her sparks her rage. He knows this anger and spite will fuel her enough to keep pushing forward. Back in Korea, it does, but she makes Hyeon-Woo’s life hell in the process.

Dressed in her flashiest attire, Hae-In returns to the office with her mind set on tearing Hyeon-Woo’s life apart. She forbids her meddling family members from intervening. This doesn’t stop each one from saying their piece to him, with each one having differing motivations. But for the most part, they back off. Hae-In orders an audit and analysis of everything Hyeon-Woo has done, resulting in uncovering his acts of kindness toward Queens Group staff. It makes for a fairly eye-opening yet frustrating moment for her. When she thinks she uncovers something sinister, the truth reveals something more wholesome.

From there, Hae-In’s frustration extends to Yoon Eun-Sung (Park Sung-Hoon) at a dinner. In exchange for his help finalizing this deal, he asks that she finally divorce Hyeon-Woo. This offends her, prompting her to storm off. Everything around her proves frustrating, but her mind can take that feeling away for better or worse. Queen of Tears Episode 7 ends in another soul-crushing fashion. Arguably, it may be the most heartbreaking end to an episode yet.

While on a drive, Hyeon-Woo discovers Hae-In seemingly coming home from that dinner. She is crouched over a cat, keeping it dry in the pouring rain. Hyeon-Woo, despite her pleas earlier in the episode, checks in on her and discovers a complete mood change. Hae-In is cheerful and full of hope even, but then she mentions the treatment in Germany. She has no memory of their trip at all. This realization brings Hyeon-Woo to tears.

Queen of Tears Episode 8 pivots slightly, with the plan Eun-Sung, Grace Go (Kim Joo-Ryung), Moh Seul-Hee (Lee Mi-Sook), and Hong Soo-Cheul’s (Kwak Dong-Yeon) wife, Cheon Da-Hye (Lee Joo-Bin), continuing to go into effect. And during Queen of Tears Episodes 7-8, we learn more about Eun-Sung and Seul-Hee. Through meticulous planning and seed planting, Seul-Hee and Eun-Sung are able to get Hyeon-Woo and Hong Beom-Ja (Kim Jung-Nan) mostly removed from Queens Group. Seul-Hee, in particular, has played the long game with Chairman Hong Man-Dae (Kim Kap-Soo). She’s also steadily turned Man-Dae against his daughter, Beom-Ja, which all culminates in Episode 8.

The heartbreak shifts focus from Hae-In to Man-Dae and Soo-Cheul in Queen of Tears Episode 8. There have been hints for the past couple of episodes of Da-Hye’s departure from Soo-Cheul. But there have also been glimpses of guilt on her face. Soo-Cheul has been a devoted father and husband and an easily manipulated fool. Through Kwak Dong-Yeon’s impeccable acting, we see how Soo-Cheul has grown into his fool status in the family. By overprotecting him, the family has set him up for failure. His need to be seen as smart and successful results in Eun-Sung and Co’s plans to go well.

That’s why when, in the moment of Soo-Cheul’s greatest triumph at Man-Dae’s wedding celebration, it is odd that Da-Hye’s not there. Soo-Cheul looks for her when his surprise doesn’t go as planned and sees she is missing. This leads to him finding a note at their home, resulting in his panic. As he tries to desperately bike around to find her, it’s difficult not to cry for him. The only person besides his mother who has supported him has now left him before things crumble.

For Man-Dae, we’ve watched him steadily giving away power to Seul-Hee from the beginning of Queen of Tears. In Episode 8, he makes her his legal guardian, sealing his fate. During a game with Seul-Hee, he receives a call from Beum-Ja, which he ignores. He only picks up when Hyeol-Woo calls. In this call, Hyeol-Woo reveals the genetic connection between Seul-Hee and Eun-Sung. By then, it is too late. The Chairman collapses with the realization he’s been deceived. Seul-Hee hammers this point home with a look of sinister triumph.

Seul-Hee and Eun-Sung make quick work of ousting the Queens family. The once powerful conglomerate has fallen into ruin, but Episode 8 nearly ends with the mystery of where the family might be. Hyeon-Woo brings his in-laws to his hometown, knowing that it is rural enough to keep them hidden. Whether or not the family can adapt to their lesser surroundings, however, remains to be seen.

Queen of Tears Episodes 7-8 play around with the themes of betrayal and heartbreak in different ways. But the episodes also highlight the differences between Hae-In and her family members. Her isolation, in some ways, has protected her. But, because of her belief in true love, Hyeon-Woo’s desire for a divorce cuts deep. As for Soo-Cheul and Man-Dae, their loneliness opens them up to vultures. What Hae-In and Hyeon-Woo have is likely true love. But it is clear Soo-Cheul and Man-Dae are being used by leeches rather than people who genuinely care. And that makes their subsequent betrayals hurt differently.

On the subject of betrayal, it is delightfully fitting that in what might be Netflix’s first Kdrama crossover, we see the reappearance of Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-Ki). Representing Hae-In in the divorce, his reputation resurfaces to squash any opposition from Hyeon-Woo. It is a lovely cameo and for fans of the Vincenzo Kdrama series, we can assume Queen of Tears now takes place in the Vincenzo universe. It also raises the question of whether or not we’ll get more character cameos.

While the episodes feel much longer than necessary, Queen of Tears Episodes 7-8 explore how hearts can break. Whether watching a loved one get worse or experiencing brutal betrayal, there’s no denying these moments get under the skin. Now that we’re at the halfway point and the Queens family are now at their lowest point, it’s time to watch them climb back up.

Queen of Tears Episodes 1-8 are now available on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Saturdays and Sundays.