REVIEW: ‘Queen of Tears’ Episodes 11-12

Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 opens the door for reconciliation, not just between Hong Hae-In (Kim Ji-Won) and Baek Hyeon-Woo (Kim Soo-Hyun), but also between Hae-In and her mother, Kim Seon-Hwa (Na Young-Hee). With her health on a further decline, there’s a race against time to make sure that there are no regrets. Unfortunately, for Yoon Eun-Sung (Park Sung-Hoon) in Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12, this means desperately pulling out all the illegal stops to make Hae-In his. For better or worse.

After Hae-In’s jaw-dropping announcement, Queen of Tears Episode 11 starts with her collapsing. Hyeon-Woo rushes her to the hospital, and the situation becomes a waiting game. Will she make it? Hae-In’s internal monologue provides a needed deep dive into her psyche. There’s regret over everything left unsaid to Hyeon-Woo, her parents, and her brother. It’s a reminder not just to Hae-In but to the viewer that if we bottle up our feelings, it may one day be too late to share them with the ones we love.

Meanwhile, all characters learn of Hae-In’s illness, prompting a range of reactions. Her parents provide the largest reactions, but, as foreshadowed throughout Queen of Tears, Hae-In’s mother reels from guilt. How could she have been so heartless? How could she not tell her daughter was sick? All these questions result in self-flagellation. However, after Hae-In wakes up, Hae-In is the only one able to pull her out of her spiral.

Eventually, Hae-In and her mother reconcile, with Hae-In absolving her of her sins. However, given the longstanding resentment between them, more time could have been spent dissecting their relationship here. As is, after such a build-up between the two, it seems too easily resolved.

This particular section of Queen of Tears Episode 11 is devastating and heartwarming. For the bulk of the series, we have yet to see most of Hae-In’s family exhibit any sort of positive emotion towards her. Since the death of her elder brother, her family has forced her into this position of self-sufficiency, whether or not they realize it. The news of her terminal condition lifts the veil. Actors Na Young-Hee and Jung Jin-Young explore the various levels of grief in the situation, adding much-needed depth to the characters that had been otherwise lacking.

Eventually, peace settles between Hae-In and her family. It’s a shame, though, that the peace comes as a result of her illness. As for Hae-In and Hyeon-Woo, their relationship appears to be on the incline. Hae-In clarifies her feelings for him, but he refuses to accept that she will die—at least for now. There are still obstacles yet to come, and almost all connect to Eun-Sung and his mother, Moh Seul-Hee (Lee Mi-Sook).

Eun-Sung is scrambling to save face after Hae-In’s announcement, but his feelings for her distract him. And Hyeon-Woo presents too frustrating of a shield. Every attempt to get Hyeon-Woo out of the picture is met with well-executed resistance. Hae-In continues to choose him over Eun-Sung. Hyeon-Woo can legally outmaneuver him.

In Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12, Eun-Sung determines to rid himself of Hyeon-Woo for good. But he is still unwilling to do it himself. Instead, he prefers underhanded methods, like attempting an assault from behind or hiring a thug to do the job for him. What he fails to realize is that these very underhanded tactics push him further away from Hae-In. She rightfully points out how he manufactures situations to make her reliant on him. And now, in Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12, we see the cracks in his armor.

A new conflict emerges after the news of Hae-In’s illness settles, and the family finds their sense of peace. In Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12, there is a specific focus on finding Chairman Hong Man-Dae’s (Kim Kap-Soo) secret fund. While he is now awake, he is presenting with dementia-like symptoms, making it difficult to find answers. Eun-Sung and his mother are trying to track it down simultaneously as Hyeon-Woo. On Hyeon-Woo’s end, he’s just slightly ahead of the curve. His discoveries in Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 prove the most useful in tracking down the funds.

But it is his and Hae-In’s search towards the end of Episode 11 that results in another heartbreaking moment. While it is clear that her illness is progressing even more, her hallucinations are getting worse. When she thinks she’s safe with Hyeon-Woo, a car chase ensues. With Eun-Sung ordering Hyeon-Woo’s murder a couple of scenes prior, this heightens the stakes. But as it turns out, the car chasing them is Hyeon-Woo. The person driving Hae-In? It is actually Eun-Sung.

Eun-Sung tries to take advantage of Hae-In in this situation. He tells her what Hyeon-Woo will think when he realizes that she mistook Eun-Sung for Hyeon-Woo. At first, this works, but she has ulterior motives. She convinces Eun-Sung to take her to her family home, where she can see the Chairman. She’s not there to placate Eun-Sung or cater to his misguided fantasies. She is there to see her grandfather.

This ultimately connects to the quest to locate the secret fund and restore her grandfather’s senses. Her meeting him sparks memories, and over the course of Episode 12, the Chairman starts to regain them. However, Seul-Hee notices the change in behavior and inevitably confronts him, tucking away his medications. She clarifies that she never loved him and intends to keep him trapped. The Chairman, in his final act, takes his life, opening the pathway for his family to enter his home once again.

Towards the end of Episode 12, Hae-In and her family realize, thanks to Hyeon-Woo’s hard work, where the secret fund is potentially located. Seul-Hee also suspects the family knows, so she permits them to walk around the home one last time for the Chairman’s sake. The episode ends with them having located the secret second door in the Chairman’s elevator. What they find is left up in the air.

Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 mostly address the issue with pacing that previous episodes have struggled with. There are still scenes that likely could have been cut despite the character-building they deliver. As endearing as Hong Soo-Cheul (Kwak Dong-Yeon) is, his Rocky training montages in Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 drag down the flow. The same can be said for Hong Beom-Ja’s (Kim Jung-Nan) budding romance with Yeong-Song (Kim Young-Min). While it is adorable to see her finding a potential love interest she deserves, it is more distracting than not.

Mortality hangs over Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 as it becomes clear that Hae-In will not get better. This feeling of mortality prompts conversations between Hae-In and her loved ones, reminding viewers to live without regret. Regrets hang heavily among all the characters in these episodes, but those who can live honestly and discuss these things freely are relieved of the burdens. Those like Eun-Sung and Seul-Hee are examples of the opposite.

Queen of Tears Episodes 11-12 tackle the concept of mortality and declining health honestly. It’s not always pretty and, more often than not, can frustrate as emotions take hold. But, as the series races towards its finish, in a way, Queen of Tears is preparing its audience for an emotionally fraught end.

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