REVIEW: ‘Queen of Tears’ Episodes 13-14

Throughout Queen of Tears, the audience and its main characters have grieved. With Hong Hae-In’s (Kim Ji-Won) terminal diagnosis, Baek Hyeon-Woo’s (Kim Soo-Hyun) fight to save her, and Hae-In’s family’s fall from grace, no level of emotion has been spared. But the journey is almost at an end. In Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14, Hae-In and Hyeon-Woo are presented with an opportunity that might save her life—the side effects, though, may be too much to bear.

Queen of Tears Episode 13 starts off with a flashback. Shot and colored in an amber tone, a younger Hong Man-Dae (Kim Kap-Soo) introduces his family to what will be the familial home. As the family moves through the home, we cut to the present day with the now-mourning older family giving the Chairman his final walk. In these flashbacks, Man-Dae is giving instructions on how to access the secret vault. Unfortunately for Hae-In and her family, their self-discovery comes too little too late.

Moh Seul-Hee (Lee Mi-Sook) finds the home video detailing the instructions the viewers see in a flashback. With this information, she uncovers Man-Dae’s secret fund. With this money, Seul-Hee can keep her son, Yoon Eun-Sung (Park Sung-Hoon), safe. At least, that’s what she tells herself. In Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14, his safety is far from his mind.

His obsession with Hae-In grows, and it is in Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14, where the worst of his plans come to fruition. But this work doesn’t play out openly in these episodes. Writer Park Ji-Eun is likely saving these revelations for the finale.

Instead, the slow-rising pulse of Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 is in the surprising discovery of a surgical treatment for Hae-In. Returning to Hyeon-Woo’s hometown in Episode 13, he receives a phone call from Germany that can change the course of Hae-In’s life. There are unfortunate side effects to consider, however. As the surgery impacts the hippocampus part of the brain, the likelihood of Hae-In losing all of her memories is high. She wouldn’t remember her family, her friends, or even Hyeon-Woo.

Hyeon-Woo tells Hae-In’s father, Hong Beom-Jun (Jung Jin-Young), and his father, Baek Du-Gwan (Jeon Bae-Su), about the situation. They all agree that Hae-In is unlikely to agree to the surgery if she knows this devastating side effect. She reveals earlier on in the episode her fervent desire to live. This knowledge haunts Hyeon-Woo throughout Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14, with his every action easily analyzed under the scope of this truth.

After revealing the surgical option to Hae-In, the couple go on a whirlwind trip. Each one is a snapshot memory, something to keep them going when the hard times hit. Hyeon-Woo documents every single moment because he knows if she loses her memories, they will need a foundation to build on. As for Hae-In, she plans to reveal three secrets to Hyeon-Woo before going into surgery.

Over the course of Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14, Hae-In tells Hyeon-Woo what she kept from him. One secret is the MP3 player he found in school. While this has been revealed in flashbacks to clue viewers in, Hyeon-Woo has been oblivious to this information. This secret, in particular, lends to the idea that they are fated lovers. This and an adorable superstition involving balsam and the first snowfall have the show leaning heavily into fate. Fate is a good selling point in tragic romance when done well, and Queen of Tears keeps doing it well.

Case in point: Hae-In reveals her second secret to Hyeon-Woo after a particularly romantic gesture at the Queen Department Store. After previously teasing him about waiting to see if she meets her first love on the first snowfall, Hyeon-Woo takes advantage of the Queen Department Store’s Christmas decorations. Using a fake snow machine, he gifts Hae-In what might be her last snowfall. In exchange, she reveals to him that Hyeon-Woo is her first love.

But these good moments can’t last forever. Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 hinge on Hae-In’s discovery of the surgery’s side effects. When the two arrive in Germany, Hyeon-Woo breaks the news to her about what might happen. She responds as expected, with her flat out refusing to do the surgery at all. At first, Hae-In would rather die than lose the memories she has. It is this conflict that arises in Episode 15 that reads the most relatable.

Her struggles present the moral dilemma surrounding what we’re willing to do to live. But also, what line a person won’t cross if it means losing themselves. Is Hae-In willing to lose her memories of everyone she loves to survive? What is a person without the culmination of their memories? Even if the body remembers, what happens when the mind does not?

This may be the overarching lesson behind Queen of Tears. What are we willing to sacrifice to live life to the fullest? Whether it’s Hae-In and Hyeon-Woo navigating the complexities of spousal illness, Eun-Sung and his obsessive love, or even Cheon Da-Hye’s (Lee Joo-Bin) dilemma in deciding to stay or leave Hong Soo-Cheul (Kwak Dong-Yeon), all of these scenarios have prompted questions in the characters and the viewers of what sacrifices can and will be made for the end goal.

Eventually, Hae-In agrees to the surgery, but happiness is not in this couple’s future. Hae-In is an obstacle in Seul-Hee’s eyes to her son’s success. She attempts to orchestrate Hae-In’s murder, but a brush of luck saves Hae-In. This moment also delivers an incredibly emotionally devastating performance from actor Kim Soo-Hyun. Hyeon-Woo isn’t out of the woods yet, either. So long as he is in the picture, Eun-Sung can’t have Hae-In.

In the background of Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 is talk of a murder. It’s the thug Eun-Sung hired to get rid of Hyeon-Soo previously. There are no efforts to hide Eun-Sung’s involvement in the case, so the reveal at the end of Episode 14 doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. For all of his villainy, Eun-Sung is now predictable in his orchestrations. However, that doesn’t lessen the impact of a screaming Hyeon-Woo being dragged away near the end of the episode as Hae-In finishes surgery.

Hyeon-Woo isn’t the only obstacle in Eun-Sung’s way. While Hyeon-Woo has been working to build a case against him, Eun-Sung has been keeping the deceased Chairman’s children in sight. Whether it’s setting up Hae-In’s father on embezzlement charges or ensuring the eldest Hong child can’t weasel their way back in, Eun-Sung actively squashes his competition. With no more obstacles, Eun-Sung is there when Hae-In wakes up. He thinks he has the upper hand here. He can be the one to guide her, mold her, and redirect her feelings to love him.

What he didn’t expect is that the name she still remembers is Hyeon-Woo’s. While Hae-In can’t remember much else, that name still lingers. And while Queen of Tears Episode 14 ends on a somber note, his name on her lips is enough to facilitate hope that maybe, just maybe, these two will have an emotionally heartfelt reunion in the finale.

Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 slow things down, giving the viewer and the characters time to breathe and collect themselves. While much of the attention in Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 is spent on Hae-In and Hyeon-Woo, there’s more time spent with secondary storylines. This time, these storylines don’t feel as tacked on. Soo-Cheul and Da-Hye’s relationship is a mixture of innocence and heartbreak, with Da-Hye’s background and internal conflict coming into full focus Episode 14. However, as a couple, their reconciliation and growth are a bright spot in the series.

Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 also spotlight Hong Beom-Ja (Kim Jung-Nan) and her blooming romance with Yeong-Song (Kim Young-Min). Over the past few episodes, Beom-Ja has developed a crush on Yeong-Song. He’s unlike any man she’s been with, and, for the most part, the feelings aren’t reciprocated. At least, that’s what it appears to be until Episode 14. Actor Kim Jung-Nan’s comedic timing highlights the inherent awkwardness of her character in these scenes, but actor Kim Young-Min’s deadpan delivery accentuates it. By the end of Episode 14, it does seem like there’s something more going on with Yeong-Song.

Queen of Tears Episodes 13-14 slow things down but fill their time with well-earned emotional sweetness, heartbreak, and betrayal. By slowing things down and giving the audience time to breathe, we’re given more time to process what’s to come. With only two episodes left, it is safe to say that we’re in for a gut-wrenching, jam-packed finale.

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