#only for baekhong

[dllamarama]

Episode 2 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Hae In reveals her terminal illness to Hyun Woo

Hae In threatened? Hyun Woo to die with her if he can’t live without her. Her expression just scared Hyun Woo out of his wit. And the fact that Hyun Woo almost believed her if she didn’t say otherwise. She definitely didn’t believe his over-acting and love declaration at this point.

Then we flashback to Hae In POV instead of Hyun Woo. It's fascinating to see how different they take in the information and expression of each other despite being in the same situation. We have seen in Hyun Woo POV of how demanding Hae In was when she asked him to go to the hospital, but in Hae In POV she was actually vulnerable and looked quite unsure of asking him to go with her. Their communication skills are so poor that I’m pulling my hair at this scene. The angst, the stupidity, the burst of emotion, the heartache. We now understand why Hae In forgets her meeting with Hyun Woo in the lobby. Now Hae In is in the denial stages of grief, while Hyun Woo is ready elated? And finally relieved of all his misery in life after hearing he can live instead of her dying.

While Hyun Woo is making sure that Hae In will die in three months, Hae In is defending him in front of her mother. Defending her husband in front of the mom that hates her and making sure that her mother will stop to torment her husband. She is very much in love with him instead of Hyun Woo who was already out of love (only he believes that). It was still as obvious that he just needed some realisation that he still loves her and the realisation will hit him like a truck. He just forgot about that after being so long in the misery of their married life.

Yang Gi is making thing worst for Hyun Woo by persuading him to be good to Hae In so that she will change her will and give her inheritance to him. So he started taking care of her to the point of suspicion from Hae In and everyone else. Although, Hae In almost believes in her husband’s shenanigans of being overly sweet to her after two years of silent treatment. Although she is smart and know that something is wrong but she still can’t escape from feeling a bit giddy and excited with the treatment she gets from Hyun Woo.

Scene: Dinner with Queens family

Sunhwa is trying to file a lawsuit against Hae In for building a department store on a part of her land. This move was definitely done as a protest after their altercation the other day where Hae In defended Hyun Woo. Hae In is definitely infuriated because the issue was resolved long before the construction even began. Sunhwa is just tormenting her the same way Hae In threatened to torment Soo Cheol. Hyun Woo realised that Hae In condition is not that good at that point and defended her in front of everyone which only makes Hae In more suspicious and angry at the same time. She knows now that Hyun Woo is only acting this way because she is sick, she doesn’t believe him anymore. Although, I believe that Hyun Woo was really starting to really feel worried for Hae In at that point. Somewhere in there, he is acting like that because he still wanted to protect her and be by her side. He just didn’t know that yet.

Scene: Hae In found Hyun Woo fell asleep on his desk.

While Hyun Woo was searching to make sure that Hae In will die in three months, Hae In thought that Hyun Woo is finding ways to save her and was touched by that. Hyun Woo is scared as shit when Hae In confronts him about his weird behaviour and tells him that she is very much suspicious of him and his weird behaviour lately. We can see that Hyun Woo is dying inside when Hae In decides that she will live for him.

Scene: Hercyna event

Hyun Woo swoops in with that handsome face of him to save Hae In after being pushed by random people in the event. Who wouldn’t fall in love again if their husband’s visual is Kim SooHyun? He did not only save her from falling but also saving her face from being humiliated by Yena after waiting for Hyun Woo for so long. The first meeting of Hyun Woo and Eun Sung is surprisingly funny. Hyun Woo who doesn’t care at all about Eun Sung when he said he used to like Hae In and Eun Sung who is trying to test the water with him. After being pointed out, Hyun Woo is feeling offended by Eun Sung but also has that hint of jealousy to him that very clear to everyone except him. He is just in denial of his emerging feeling to Hae In to realise it.

Scene: Hunting with the Queens

Only someone as capable as Baek Hyun Woo would not care about not being able to catch anything from the hunt. He is just there because he had to, not that he wants to. He also felt how different it is for him and for Yoon Eun Sung to blend into the family. Even after three years, he still felt like an outsider in the family and he sees how easy it is for Eun Sung to get along with the family. Could it be that he didn’t make any effort to be part of the family? Or was he just there where he was because he was fighting the battle alone? Not knowing that Hae In supported him in the dark. They could’ve been more honest to each other instead of letting the other left in the dark.

Summary:

Hyun Woo really needs to redeem himself after all those sketchy things he did behind Hae In’s back. Hae In totally believes that Hyun Woo cares about her and the only one whom she can rely on. He is very much unaware of how wrong his actions are and what are the consequences to those actions later in the series. He is just there trying to find any salvation that is left in this world for him. He is soooooo slow or is it just that Hae In too fast? But, their pace is not match and they need to find the middle tempo so that they can walk together hand in hand.

[winterdusktales]

so on top of haein and hyunwoo's very complicated romance plot (with loooots of subplots like divorce, miscarriage, terminal illness, amnesia, etc), there's also family drama, business drama, and a pyscho villain plot likeee can the writer chill and pick just 1-2 max

[cherryblossomchronicles]

“They care for each other but they are not on the same page so it looks like they don’t like each other”

[dalfurawa]

whenever i hear the line "i wish i could have told you that i was born to love you with all my heart" my heart instantly clenches

because i think of baekhong's intertwined fates, i think of hyunwoo not even knowing he saved the person who's going to be the love of his life from drowning, i think of how haein is his first love and him being hers, i think of him always thinking about haein's comfort because she mentioned to him in passing how her heels were uncomfy, i think of how she told only him about her illness because he's the only person she trusts, i think of hyunwoo bringing haein and her family to his hometown without hesitation to keep them safe despite what he's gone through with them, i think of her agreeing to the divorce even though she felt so hurt and betrayed by it because she doesn't want to see him suffer any longer, i think of how he kept protecting the company because he knew how much she loved it, i think of hyunwoo reaching out to every single hospital he could to find a possible cure for her amidst all that he's doing for the company, i think of haein so willing to die just to not lose her memory of loving hyunwoo and being loved by him, i think of how he's the only person that she doesn't want to forget, i think of how hyunwoo is willing to become a stranger to her just so she could live, i think of him destroying his hand just so he could get to haein and save her, i think of her agreeing to do the surgery despite being so terrified because she saw how miserable he would be if she dies, i think of him taking a bullet for her, and i think about how even without her memories of him, haein still and will always inevitably fall in love with hyunwoo.

i think of how they really were born to love each other will all their might, no matter what happens.

[10underoot2]

I have a headcanon of BaekHong being this power couple even as they raise their daughter.

They're very hands on. The nanny, Mrs.Jang, is always available but she feels like it's the easiest gig she ever got. She's seen other rich families just birthing the child and giving it to the nanny to look after. They only feed or play with it when convenient but not Mr. Baek and Mrs.Baek. Soobin is the light of their existance. They both wouldn't be at peace until they saw her once back from work. Mrs.Baek would only go for a few hours, most of the time taking Soobin and the nanny with her. She never would have believed someone like Ms.Hong would find a way to conduct her meetings but still cradle her inconsolable child in her office. She had never imagined Mr. Baek would play with her in his office plain for all to see. She also hadn't imagined either of the parents' amusement when the 6 month old puked on designer bags and clothes. She had seen children resented and glared at for that. But not this rich couple. They loved their child like their life depended on it. Even when tired, overworked, frustrated they made time for their daughter always. Mrs.Jang often felt like the last resort. Moments when even she could see that the strain of work and life could no longer render them available to care for their child she took over for them. But even then these moments were scarce. She had heard months into her employment that the couple was actually against hiring her but had only agreed due to incessant requests of the child's maternal grandmother.

So when she was informed that the couple was throwing a big networking party for the Queens department store, she was sure this was her moment to shine. Because what rich couple feeds, changes, plays or cares about their child in the presence of 400+ highly influential people. Even if they both wanted to they wouldn't find the time.

But come day of the event, Haein was all dolled up looking magnificent beside Mr. Baek as they both laughed and dressed up their 6 month old baby. During the party, Soobin went from welcoming guests in her Armani clad suit father's arms. To discussing complex legal matters and networking with him still viewing the world from the high vantage point her father's height afforded her. Smiles representative of only pure joy, adored Hyunwoo and Hae-in's face each time they talked, interacted or received a smile from Baby Soobin.

At long last Soobin urged her father to put her to sleep in his arms where he kept her for half an hour before parting with her achingly in Mrs.Jang's care. When she woke up hours later fussing, he was there before the nanny could try to appease her. She had seen him excuse himself as soon as politely possible as Soobin continued to cry. He stood there, fully dressed trying to appease her a while before he went to his wife who was deep in conversation trying to recruit brands for her store. Mrs. Jang knew it was an important event for Mrs. Baek, so she expects not to see her all night near Soobin. From what she had heard (but never seen) about the couple's rocky relationship she thought this would be it. She would now see them fight as he dared approach her during such important talks.

But for Haein, seeing her husband walk towards her with their adorable daughter in his hands was a sight in and of itself. Her eyes were already on them. Hyunwoo politely greets everyone and leans in close to her to say: 'I've tried everything I could. I think she needs you.' She pauses her conversation on the spot. Says her apologies and moves inside to care for her daughter. Hyunwoo takes up the conversation and sells the store for her until she comes back with a happy Soobin in her arms for the crowd to coo at. Among the many photos the photographer had taken of the night their favourite remains of Soobin absolutely overjoyed to see her father as her mother mirrors both of their joy at being able to witness the moment.

Little do the happy family know there's gossip - and a lot of it at that. There's gossip on the mighty lawyer Hyunwoo being a wuss who's not in control of the house. On Hyunwoo not doing his part as a father 'So what if he has a pretty face, he should be slaving away taking care of his daughter why give her to the mother when things get difficult?' On Haein for being duped by his charms. On Haein for holding the baby wrong. For growing soft, for being dumb enough to ignore big shot CEOs because a human with a brain not even fully developed was crying.

No one sees the couple take respite in caring for their adorable daughter. Even when Soobin cries the shrillest, it makes Hyun woo just pick up another toy and Haein make the funniest face she can think of to appease her. They know the pain of the loss of a child. They cannot fathom not doing everything in their power to love this gift of theirs. No matter what she does she has both of them wrapped around her fingers. Because they're the luckiest to have her and call themselves her parents. It feels like a miracle each day and they'd be damned if they let a stupid department store take that away from them. So what if they lost a contract or two, the extra wons wouldn't fill up their candy jar. After all, all the money they had couldn't bring back their baby either.

[iris-sistibly]

I know Queen of Tears is not everyone's cup of tea. But after reading some fans' sentiments and contemplating, I'd like to share my two cents/realisations on this:

1. I like that the story started out with a very realistic plot: a married couple falling apart but then rediscovered their love for each other. I do agree however about the sentiments of some viewers about the storytelling.

2. This isn't a romcom. It's a heavy drama with a couple of light and funny moments here and there. I would have appreciated it more if the writer focused mainly on the root cause/s of BaekHong's marriage falling apart:

The loss of their baby

Hae-in's family being toxic af (at the time)

And then shift the focus on their healing, and while BaekHong did eventually find their way back into love, it kinda throws me off that the show seems to divert the viewers' attention from that one crucial part of the story, the very reason why their marriage started to crumble and that is addressing the loss of their child. They briefly discussed it, but not as thorough as I personally would have liked (example: being honest about how they felt at the time, finding ways on how to properly handle their grief and acceptance of what happened, etc.).

Perhaps Hae-in could have expressed how she felt about her mother mistreating her all these years, then they could have been given more time to rebuild their relationship before she went to surgery.

3. Adding Eun-seong and Mo Seul-hee in the picture...I'm sorry to say this but it basically ruined the main plot's momentum. At this point, this whole revenge thingy is just "dragging" (like this bullshit is taking longer to unveil than BaekHong getting back together). I like the twists in the story but I think they overdid it, it's like one twist after another to the point that it becomes exhausting and it kills the excitement for some viewers.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy watching this show, I think the actors are great, they made me love and hate their characters, I highly appreciate the role reversals in the main characters, and I think it's still entertaining, I appreciate that Park Ji-eun tried to add something outside of the box to spice up the storyline, but yeah...idk how the show is gonna pull this shit off with only 2 episodes left.

[sunlightnmoonshine]

Okay so I've had time to calm down and think of ways to make eunseong eat dirt and so now to the positives of this episode which was completely overshadowed by those awful 15 minutes.

- baekhong, how far they've come. To me this was one of their strongest episodes, one because it was truly the most vulnerable we had seen of them together and that scene outside the hospital and then outside the church oof??? The way I could feel the pain, the way I could understand where each was coming from and the way it just hurt because you want only good for them, most importantly though it was the way they were finally communicating with each other and knew why the other was behaving the way that were and were making active efforts to be there for each other irrespective of what they felt.

- at first I had whiplash at how they kept going from tears to just casually hanging out with each other, but it just made so much sense? Like here they are, not walking away but are dealing with the pain together, hyunwoo still trying to convince her but also just being there for her, and haein not wanting to budge but also entertaining hyunwoo's antiques because this is how they work through things, they cry, but they still stay by each other, they try to understand, the effort is all.

- hyunwoo's reaction after the accident deserves special mention but lol what even was that accident, nothing but shock factor and the way they hired that one white dude to just casually be like oh my god lemme call an ambulance and then disappear (bad bad writing) but I couldnt care about any of that because did you see the way kim soo hyun acted his heart out that scene????? Did you see the shortness of breath, the on the verge of a panic attack, the despair then the relief in his eyes, the crying, the way he held her?? The way I could feel every emotion and personally while I think the accident itself was stupid I found it poignant that haein changed her mind when she saw hyunwoo like this and we all know it's not because of the "ooh he looks so sad some lady will come hug him when he's crying after I die" but because haein herself has never seen hyunwoo like this, she saw entirely how destroyed he looked and felt when he thought she died and that hurt her more than anything and oof I just love these two, it's the way they just love each other so much and just want the other to be happy, in this moment haein said I'd hate to forget you but I'd hate it more if my death destroyed you and I think that speaks volumes.

- every other baekhong scene was gold lol, in the hospital, them just being domestic and just talking, the words they say before haein goes in for surgery (poorly written surgery, poorly written illness), the way hyunwoo just collapses once she's in - (and that's it I can't talk about the last 15 minutes lol even though there's a lot of baekhong glory there too).

- special mention for aunt beomja who really is a little ray of sunshine and for soocheol and his little family (I have issues with their bad qualities just being disregarded by this writer but that's for a different post).

Anyway, the ep is flawed just like every ep has been, it's clear the writer has no idea how to navigate complex plot lines and really should have just stuck to baekhong, because that's truly been worth the watch and has been very well written.

[beachboysnatural]

Did they only hire Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun to cry is that why we got a happy montage and like two or three happy Baekhong scenes in the last episode. Are you kidding me

[captainjoongki]

nah bacause what the fuck was that? They know the reason everyone is watching is the main otp?? If the last episode isn't 1 hour full of them then I don't want it and unfortunately I don't think it's going to be they're literally going to give us last 10 minutes happy ending

genuinely awful episode. korean fans are threatening to egg the writer this is such utter shite 😭

like these last episodes have been so bad writing wise i’m sorry what happened to the original plot the quality is on a downward slope and atp im only tuned in to see baekhong HOPEFULLY happy for more than five minutes.

we all tuned in to see baekhong solve their marital issues and be happy together and instead we are getting every plot besides that but yeah HW getting hit by a car is like my final straw if episode 16 doesn’t have a makeout kiss i’m going to become the joker

[dllamarama]

Episode 12 Queen of Tears BaekHong recap

Scene: Hae In ah!!! Hae In ah…

We could see that she was shocked to realise that she mistook YES as Baek Hyun Woo and she was devastated by the fact that she could EVER mistake that shibalsaekki as Baek Hyun Woo. This shibalsaekki is really a deviously good manipulator to turn the situation into his favour and Hae In took the bait easily, of course she needed that excuse to meet her grandfather but nevertheless YES manipulation works on her. She left Hyun Woo to follow YES without giving Hyun Woo time to process this information. He had just seen her disappear with YES right in front of his eyes without knowing whether she would be safe or not. He had to risk both of their lives while chasing YES car and crashed into the barrier in order to block them while having millions of thoughts in his mind. That relief on his face when he was finally able to see that she looked fine while shouting her name desperately.

Although he was worried and frantic, he never showed aggressiveness towards her. He is giving her time to process the situation and let her open the door on her own while waiting patiently. He only moves after she opens the door and was relieved when she said that she is fine. We knew that he feels uneasy to let her go with YES, his instinct is screaming at him to not let her follow YES. But, he had to let her go because she wanted that. He had to respect her decision even though he is sure something is wrong with her, even after she denied it. He could sense it.

Scene: Password 1031

Hae In was still confused with her perception and still saw both Hyun Woo and YES interchangeably. She couldn’t trust her own eyes to determine whether the person walking towards her is Hyun Woo or YES. She pushed his hand that was reaching for her the first time and flinched the second time because she still couldn’t believe her own eyes. She was finally at ease after Hyun Woo said the same dialogue he had mentioned previously to her. She can breathe now that this is her real Baek Hyun Woo. She can finally reach his hand and feel the familiarity in his warm hands.

I was very disappointed at the way PJE decided for them to talk about baby 1031. He knew her phone’s password, she knew his house’s password but they didn’t even address their painful memory until episode 16 (will describe this more when it comes up). Hae In was slightly taken aback when she saw his password but didn’t comment on it. She knew that like her, Hyun Woo always keeps a part of that memory alive. That scar will stay with them forever. She enters the apartment and comments about the house. It was just a simple curiosity at first but escalated into a playful banter with panicked Hyun Woo after he mentions that he can easily fall asleep anywhere. Hae In was definitely pleased when he said that he wasn’t comfortable at all because she was not there with him and he missed her when he imagined their married life together in his apartment. Hyun Woo and his sweet talking always makes her seem out of character. He has such a big effect on the mighty Queen Hae In. When she says that she is hungry, Hyun Woo immediately stands and makes dinner for her. She is relaxed now that she is back in her safe space (Baek Hyun Woo) so that’s why she is hungry even after having steak with YES (which was noticeably untouched even without the camera pans to it up close). Another point to notice about this shibalsaekki is that, how obnoxious and full of himself can he be to not notice that she didn’t even touch her food? He doesn’t even care for Hae In, he just wants her to be there even though her soul is not there with him. Hae In also only said that she's hungry with Hyun Woo (in Germany after she saw her brother & after the warehouse visit) while always lose her appetite whenever she's with YES (one of her meeting with him for Hercyna & everytime he ask her for dinner).

Our favourite (divorced) couple is happily and warmly having dinner prepared by the perfect Mr. Baek Hyun Woo. Hae In is back with her dark humour and Hyun Woo choked on his food. She discussed her death and after death like it’s a daily occurrence. She definitely couldn’t let go of this man even after her death, she would probably drown in anger and turn in her coffin the moment she feels someone is trying to date Baek Hyun Woo. He is so weak when Hae In starts to compliment him and couldn’t hide his happy shy smile. At this point, maybe we should be thankful that Hae In rarely compliments him; I don’t think he could handle it or us could handle seeing him being this cute and irresistibly charming.

It’s the next morning and Hae In wakes up first before Hyun Woo. She walked out of his bedroom and slowly approached a sleeping Hyun Woo in the couch while never breaking eye contact. She traced his facial features (he is sooooooo pretty!!) to carve it in her mind so that she will never confuse him ever again, especially with YES. They share small talks while Hyun Woo is half awake. He asks whether she wants to sleep some more but Hae In said no and then he just decides to grab her shoulder and make her lie with him on the couch together regardless of her opinion. Kyaaakkkkkkkkk, Baek Hyun Woo!!!!!!!!! Who taught you to be this smooth?

Scene: Beautiful sunset but a sad truth for divorce withdrawal rejection

Hyun Woo presented Hae In with a new ring to request for their divorce withdrawal. Hae In tried the ring on her finger and for a second, she wanted the same. But, she couldn’t accept it. Hyun Woo was asking softly to her to understand the reason for her withdrawal, because he knows that she wanted the same thing as him. He received a positive sign about their relationship and her feelings for him. Hae In is contemplating for a brief second before she decides to tell him the truth; she followed YES last night because she thought that it was Hyun Woo. Her symptoms have worsened till she cannot recognise the love of her life, and the realisation of it is eating her from the inside. With the revelation, Hyun Woo recalls yesterday’s event when she was so scared and confused when he got close to her. He was also already awake before he noticed his bedroom door opening and all of it makes sense to him now; she couldn’t recognise him. He wanted to console and say something to her but he stopped himself and let her retreat back to the car. He probably wanted to say that it’s okay and they can do this together, but he didn’t. He knows that she is much more frustrated at herself because of her illness and he just let her be. But, he couldn’t help the tears that fell down his cheek and he could hear her crying softly from inside the car. They both need time to really process her new symptoms and the impact of it on their relationship because she already told him in advance that she would not let him stay by her side when her symptoms worsen. This scene contrasted with their first heartbreak due to the miscarriage, instead of closing the door and mourning in silence they are now able to show their vulnerable side by being in the same place, together. But they are doing it separately, because there is nothing they can do about her worsening symptoms. There is no significant improvement in her treatment and Hae In especially has lost hope to recover from her illness.

Scene: Round brilliant cut diamond ring

Hae In sees the ring box in Hyun Woo’s room when she is returning his coat and she is tempted to put it on her finger again. She likes the ring but most of all she likes the man who bought the ring for her. But, of course Hyun Woo had to enter at the perfect timing before she was able to put the ring back into the box. Hyun Woo’s face is gloomy when he takes the ring box from the drawer and he was speaking in a very sad tone while telling her that he will return the ring back and that she shouldn’t concern herself about it again. Hae In is panicking inside with the ring still on her finger. When she turns around and puts the ring back into the box with a nonchalant expression, Hyun Woo is shocked to see that she wore the ring. Hae In started to give excuses and long explanations but this time Hyun Woo is reading her correctly (finally). His eyes were smiling when she was rationalising her action and he was finally able to smile when she was out of the room. He still has a chance to change her mind. Cutie pies…

[samwiseyoufool]

Were you satisfied with the ending for Queen of Tears? I have mixed feelings. I'm still debating if I would recommend the show to someone else.

let me start with: would I recommend it?

yes. the first 8 episodes were 10/10, life-changing, kdrama history and goals. the plot, the writing, the acting. you can kind of see after episode 8 that their marriage became the secondary plot / the couple's screen time diminished. BUT the main couple is one of the best I've ever seen, a love story for the ages, and ksh and kjw killed it. I'll rewatch the show just for them.

was I satisfied? I'm okay with it. I would say overall, glad for the happy ending, but the journey there was rough towards the end and things were left to be desired.

I think the biggest detraction for me is how the amnesia plotline kind of ruined all the progress baekhong made, imo. the show set it up so we saw their relationship at its worst but were given hints of the first time they fell in love, and then after the fallout, it was nice to see how they navigated this new-but-not-new relationship. and the amnesia plotline was setting it up for them to do that again, which not only erased all of that progress they'd had, but then we didn't even get to see it. they acted less like a couple than even after they were divorced.

(the amnesia plotline overall was just so messy. it was so bizarre that she wouldn't have asked eun-sung or secretary na for pictures of herself or done a quick google search to see just the press conference alone... but then they let her go back to work as the ceo of this huge company while surrounding her by new people who would also not know what they're doing???)

all of that to say, I enjoyed most of it and would recommend it (probably with warnings, tbh). wish we got the rom from this romcom but (and I cannot stress this enough) the main leads were phenomenal, so I'll take it.

[juliemolinaz]

Thinking about the overall show and while I enjoyed it overall (minus the end of episode 14, a lot of episode 15, and some of the beginning of episode 16), here are some changes that I think would have made the show better.

I made this point in two separate posts, but Eun-seong should have been motivated primarily by hatred towards his mother for abandoning him and secondarily by hatred towards the family that his mother chose over him. That way, Eun-seong wouldn't have been so delulu thinking that he and Hae-in belonged together and it would have made his character more interesting to see him have to pretend to be on his mother's side while she was bringing the Hong family down only to turn things on her and end up being the one on top.

I would have had the Seul-hee/Eun-seong take-over plot wrap up by episode 14. While I think that some of the storyline progression with the Hong family, particularly their ability to come together and the relationship between Hae-in and Hyun-woo's families wouldn't have happened if the Hong family lost everything and was humbled, the Hong family losing their money wasn't the driving force behind the show. Hae-in and Hyun-woo's relationship was the driving force. By wrapping up the take-over storyline by episode 14, we could have had 2 episodes focused on Hae-in's surgery, her recovery, and the relationship between Hae-in and Hyun-woo.

If episodes 15 and 16 focused solely on the surgery and aftermath, then we would have had time for Hae-in and Hyun-woo to talk about where their relationship went wrong, baby 1031, and what they wanted their relationship to look like if Hae-in did end up losing her memories. Their relationship started to fall apart when they couldn't communicate after the miscarriage, so it would have been nice for that to actually be acknowledged and talked about than the little bit of it we got towards the end of episode 16.

Give us some more time to see Hae-in and Hyun-woo come together again and how they fell in love. It would have been nice to see them get married again, deal with the excitement and worry about Hae-in getting pregnant again, and some more of them actually being parents.

All in all, I enjoyed the show, especially the first half of the show, all the Baekhong moments, and all of the interactions between the BaekHong families. But, the Seul-hee/Eun-seong plot and Eun-seong's delulu self definitely could have been better.

[ye-xiu]

omg al darling pls give me your queen of tears thoughts i’m really behind and need to know if it’s worth finishing <3

tbh i am also behind but i keep up with spoilers and episode recaps for everything i am watching bc i don't really care about getting spoiled. with that being said, where do i even begin? i would have loved if the show ended on a melodrama note in the second half, with the hong family having lost queens group but recouping that through baekhong's work as a lawyer and ceo respectively and with them rekindling their relationship (without marriage or another kid) while hae-in would, well, die due to some bout of medical realism that has to remain here, but with the two of them choosing each other in their lifetime, roll credits, fin. i am putting a read more from here on in bc this is sort of my thoughts on the show in general but also the second half, since describing the second half doesn't really work without talking about the set-up of the plot. plots? whatever is happening here. (also! spoilers ahead!)

of course we did not get a well-polished plot, something as sensible as this couldn't fly with the deranged fans this drama spawned like you wouldn't believe. so in a way this fanbase deserved exactly what they got lmao. this show has been crazy from the beginning bc as much as i love hae-in, people kept acting like she didn't treat hyun-woo like shit for most of their marriage when she did. he was only marginally better off, but my one big issue was that hyun-woo has to apolgize for everything he ever did, for wanting to divorce in the first place, while the show depicted right away how awful his marriage was. so now in the second half we, of course, get hyun-woo doing everything for hae-in to make up for all his audacity, like the good kdrama male lead he is (where is moon gang-tae when we need him? kim soo-hyun can act with some fire in there, so why does he not?) hae-in keeps getting worse and he is by her side, so whoo for tha ti guess and she does apologize for how she treated him after 10 eps of grovelling lmao. anyways.

they grow closer again while hae-in stays in the hospital for her treatment, but in comes mister i-still-want-to-be-cooked-over-an-open-fire-like-a-rotissiere-chicken eun-sung. i do have to say i love park sung-hoon in this drama? not as good as the psychotic bully-slash-killer-slash-second-woman he plays in the glory, but really good. it's giving kendall roy in sucession s2! it's giving this is why rich people tax middle class families until tax evasion or murder become lifestyle choices for those families! it's giving the rite of passage creepy high school boyfriend straight women go through amped up to the max! he is so good at being evil and he shines here, somehow, in all his creepy despondency and obsession with hae-in. at one point he swipes in and tells hae-in, who is losing her memory, that he saved her life and then he does it again, using the times hyun-woo's saved her as his cover story. he keeps rocking brown three-piece suits and a crazy-good blowout and side swoop while he does that, which might be the worst thing. hyun-woo punches him in the face, which is the saving grace of this entire second half of the show. he runs over hyun-woo with a car in the PENULTIMATE episode for the hell of it, because he can't see hyun-woo and hae-in be together again. the man is batshit insane and he stands by it.

as for the plot:

the head of the hong family (hae-in's grandfather) has a slush fund, because that is the second most realistic part of the show. eun-sung and his mother scrounge around to find it to take the rest of queens group, but well, i honestly don't care much about this plot. yang-gi (hyun-woo's best friend and divorce lawyer, who is apparently barred twice over in korea and can also hold up with business law and attorney work in court lol) helps lower hyun-woo's crazy ass charges, so he lives to see another day while everyone is looking for the goddamn slush fund. eun-sung and his mother found it first btw. hae-in keeps mistaking eun-sung for hyun-woo, her memory loss gets worse, we get it. several people working for eun-sung keep trying to kill hyun-woo over the span of the last five episodes. we get another reborn rich cameo from kim shin-rok, which at this point is the only thing keeping me from tuning out of this whacky ass drama. the hong family grandfather kills himself and all of kdrama twt and mdl are mad that the raised rating wasn't an explicit scene between baekhong but seeing an old man die (i kid you not). they keep trying to convince me kim soo-hyun was in the marine corps and i keep not believing it. german hospitals apparently can do life-saving surgeries on non-german citizens, which is unheard off in this neck of the woods but alas. hae-in has to trade in her memories to have that surgery, so that is our 11 o clock moment. or something. hyun-woo gets arrested by interpol right after, so there goes that dream. soo-cheol ends up with his wife again, which i care about as much as a tree cares about a leaf falling in a forest. big yawn. hyun-woo employs yang-gi again to beat the interpol charges and they do (yippie!). eun-sung keep acting like he's hae-in's husband after her memories disappeared and all of us know it's so deeply joever but the death bell has yet to strike. in comes the car crash bc we go two for two on car crashes in this show. eun-sung is now, after 15 episodes of washed up nonsense, pursued by the police bc nothing screams real crime like vehicular manslaughter in a kdrama. tried and true to the very end he goes!

haven't checked into ep 16 yet, but i know it ends with a montage of hae-in and hyun-woo together for more years, marrying again and having a child, and then hae-in dies. hyun-woo as an old man visits her grave in germany (potsdam doesn't allow graves on the grounds of sansoucie so i wonder where they supposedly put it?) and then we get a fade in of young hae-in leading now-deceased and young again hyun-woo to heaven in a field of lavender, goblin style minus the good writing. hyun-woo kept apologising for things until the end but don't ask me what it was about, i stopped caring. i assume that eun-sung lands in jail or something for his five billion crimes and all the times he wore light blue ties in this show. fin.

[10underoot2]

Here's a lovely, beautiful, little detail I loved in Episode 14 that I wish we saw more of throughout the show. BaekHong just teasing each other with their quirkiness and wittiness.

All those little scenes and dialogues were so beautiful and so important in letting me know and believe that yes this is why and how they fell in love. This is where they match in personalities. They see that part of each other. Cause life can be long as much as it is short, so god do you need a person who can make you smile, allow you to take yourself less seriously and just someone you can laugh with.

Here are a few examples I found in episode 14. If anyone knows more throughout the show that I'm missing please list them here!

1. Busman Confession

Haein: 'How did you even get into SNU?'

She was so real for this and it was so deserved. Also the way Hyunwoo starts teasing her immediately. She never wanted to tell him cause she knew he'd get cocky with her and of course he did. Love that lil laugh and teasing. Also I love how Haein keeps teasing him about his first love. She loves seeing him wound up.

2. Praying at the Church:

Haein: 'You're praying so much to get into heaven. Of course you'll need it if we want to meet in heaven.'

Hyunwoo: 'What makes you think you're going to heaven?'

They're both so mean and chaotic 😂 They're literally in church praying for Haein's fate and they decide to make these jokes. And I love how Hyunwoo doesn't hold back. He gives as good as he gets. I love the lightness foreshadowing the very dark and real reality they live in. This was so necessary and so well delivered. Like just subtly sprinkled.

3. Last Night at the Hospital before Haein's Surgery

Haein: 'You have nothing (complaints, times you were hurt in marriage secrets)?'

Hyunwoo: 'I'm trying to pick'

Making light of something that is very heavy and sad. It also shows the lighter side of Hyunwoo that I really appreciate when I get to see this in characters cause the people these characters are have to be multilayered. They can't be defined only by their capacity of love and sadness. Another example of this is Haein's really dark and dry sense of humour.

4. Episode 14 Epilougue

Haein: 'You used to tell me about the days you were in Law School? What was your secret to memorising so well?'

Hyunwoo cockily lies: 'I was just able to easily memorize anything I looked it.'

Haein: 'I'm serious did you gobble up the pages after memorising them?'

Hyunwoo: 'I'm not a goat.'

There literally hours away from her surgery. But look at him teasing her and making her smile. I love how Haein points out in an earlier episode 'as arrogant as you are you must Baek Hyunwoo' cause in front of her he flexes like no other but other than that he's just a humble man. So I love him never missing a chance to impress her. It's a very cute detail and I love seeing it strung along.

There are others as well. I think I saw a post by @havemercedes some time ago as well. I think this truly shines in episode 14 and I love this detail! ✨

[iris-sistibly]

BAAAAAAAABES OMG!!!! EPISODE 10 IS GIVINGGGGG!!!

It's giving cuteness, it's giving love, it's giving ✨QUEEN✨ it's giving fucking satisfaction my loves!

📍Let's start off with some really funny scenes brought to you by Hong Mama, it's so freaking satisfying to see her get humbled over and over and over again! Her getting off of her high horse has been long overdue tbh, that scene when she finally got her salary after work, only for Baek Mama to deduct it for the coffee she paid for (her), God her face was priceless. Everyone say it with me, "DESERVE!" Perhaps Mama Baek can teach her a thing or two about mothering. It's about time she learns that too.

📍Papa Hong and Papa Baek having a heart-to-heart conversation over their frustrations at losing something, and almost everyone seems to turn their backs on them. Them bonding over Kdrama while having a drinking session at the same time is probably one of the most wholesome scenes in the show.

📍Mama Baek being such a loving mama to Hae-in 😭😭 even though it's clear that she loves her son, she didn't tolerate Hyun-woo's bullshit when the latter confessed about Hae-in's illness and the divorce. I hope all parents will take note of this: you don't tolerate your kids' wrongdoings, you make them own up to their mistakes and guide them in doing the right thing. That's why Hyun-woo knows how to take accountability, his mother taught him well.

📍Soo-cheol is actually growing on me. He's an immature idiot at first, but he really has a big heart. He's the one who got fooled and dumped on yet he still worries over baby Geon-u and Da-hye. Yes he was hurt, but he loves Da-hye so much that he can't even bring himself to be angry at her. He sees the goodness in her and points at the right person who caused their family to crumble. I can't wait for him to man up and fight to bring his family back.

📍Oh my beautiful BaekHong, the "divorced" couple who acts like they're still married. Hae-in acting like a typical wife who scolds her husband for getting into trouble, but still takes care of him anyway and Hyun-woo the boxing champion trembling at his angry wife 🤣.

📍I also love the fact that they finally have that much needed talk about their marriage, what went wrong, what they could have done, and Hyun-woo having no regrets at marrying Hae-in and would gladly choose her again and again. Dear Lord, where can I get myself a Baek Hyun-woo?

📍But damn Hae-in exposing Eun-seong during the press conference was the BEST!!! Dude was so sure he was gonna marry her but Hae-in isn't the queen of Queens for NOTHING. He really did underestimate her, I kid you not when I say that I literally flipped my middle finger when the camera focused on Eun-seong *clears throat* with all due respect to Park Sung-hoon, you are a great actor sir but I loathe your character. Yoon Eun-seong is the very definition of "delulu is the solulu" again, Hae-in would rather die than be with him, and since this episode is so satisfying, I'm gonna save my rant for the next episode.

📍I have always loved the dynamics of Hyun-woo and Hae-in, they may be different in a lot of things but they complement each other in so many ways. For example, when someone is trying to fuck up the other, or when one of them is in danger, there will be hell. Hyun-woo is very protective of Hae-in, he'll fight tooth and nail for her even if it means getting hurt in the process. This man will fight for her to the death. Hae-in on the other hand is the type of person who would rather take all the pain to herself than seeing her loved ones suffer. She will never stand back when it comes to Hyun-woo, and when someone tries to fuck him up, she'll go above and beyond to save him, and she'll give you hell if you mess with her husband. Since the beginning they have always fought for each other, but in the next coming episodes I hope they'll learn to fight together because seriously, they are such a power couple.

📍Hae-in still calls Hyun-woo her husband 🥹🥹

📍Shout out to Grace for not being too stupid, you have chosen the right team to help ma'am. And Da-hye...girl, come back already.

[beri-allen]

ao3: beriallen she/her, 18+

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls 1. a little more and i'll go (dan hwal/min si-ho; t; 1/1) 2. if our lives are ours, what shouldn't we do (dan hwal/dan sol, dan hwal/min si-ho; t; 1/1) 3. we had so much going for us (dan hwal/dan sol, dan hwal/min si-ho; g; 1/1)

Crash Landing on You 1. i carried you for aching (seo dan/gu seung-jun; t; 1/1)

Hannibal 1. only grab air (will graham/beverly katz; t; 1/1)

House M.D. 1. calendar girls* (allison cameron/thirteen; t; 1/1)

Memories of the Alhambra 1. room 601 (yoo jinwoo/jung heeju; t; 1/1) 2. magic hours (yoo jinwoo/jung heeju; m; 1/1)

Once Upon a Time 1. the human (wooden swan; g; 1/1) 2. memory serves (wooden swan; t; 1/1)

Please Come Back, Mister 1. wish i were here (han hong-nan/song yi-yeon; t; 1/1)

Queen of Tears 1. 5 times hong hae-in died (baekhong; t; 1/1)

Running Man** 1. might just as well (monday couple; g; 1/1) 2. four times jihyo holds gary's hands and one time she doesn't (monday couple; g; 1/1) 3. no good unless real (monday couple; e; 1/1) 4. another night (monday couple; t; 1/1) 5. fine (monday couple; t; 1/1)

School 2017 1. 3 times taewoon confesses and 1 time he doesn't (ra eunho/hyun taewoon; t; 1/1)

Search WWW 1. the theory of time (song ga-gyeong/cha hyeon; g; 1/1)

Story of Kunning Palace 1. the dreams of butterflies (jiang xuening/shen zhiyi; t; 1/1)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 1. born liar (snowbaird; m; 1/1)

Twenty Five, Twenty One 1. we call it something different, something wrong, and something right (ko yurim/na heedo; t; 1/1)

Wednesday 1. slow, long, and excruciatingly painful (wyler; t; 2/2) 2. you have shrunk to the size of my thoughts (wyler; t; 2/2) 3. i predict a riot (wyler; m; 5/5) 4. the gift of the magi (wyler; t; 1/1) 5. the rite of spring (wyler; t; 1/1) 6. stop (wyler; e; 1/1) 7. the long game (wyler; m; 1/1) 8. the devil and the deep blue sea (wyler; t; 1/1) 9. interrupted remembrances (wyler; t; 1/1) 10. technicolor glasses (wyler; t; 1/1) 11. i put a spell on you (wyler; e; 7/7) 12. oh god, i think i'm falling (wyler; e; 2/2) 13. joyeux noël (wyler; t; 1/1) 15. in the heat of the moment (tynid, wyler, minor petroclair; e; 2/2)

*imported from lj **rpf header & icon image credit: x