Eun Soo Hyun (Kim Nam Joo) had a perfect life. She was a psychology professor and successful writer, a devoted wife and mother. Her world was wonderful… Until one day her life was divided into before and after when her 5-year-old son died in a hit-and-run incident and the man responsible avoided punishment. Crushed and heartbroken, Soo Hyun takes justice into her hands.
The pain won’t go away that easily. The healing is needed for our female lead and not only her. She would meet other people living with pain in their hearts and maybe together they would find a way to move on.
Behold spoilers!
Tenderness of the mother
The wonderful world that was presented to us was so sweet and perfect it looked almost too plastic and unreal. I felt like I was eating cotton candy while watching this family behave. That world, sadly, broke down early on, leaving the mourning family with shattered hearts.
The beauty of this drama is in it’s sadness. It’s in the mother’s love for her child, whether it’s a boy who died in the beginning or the mother of said boy who is someone’s daughter as well.
Soo Hyun is so tender in her sorrow that it’s mesmerizing to watch. There is no over-dramatic crying that wouldn’t be surprising considering the tremendous loss our heroine is living through. But instead, we see a different portrayal of mourning: numbness, soft quiet cries, empty eyes, and existing rather than living. Everyone around her is so alive. Her sister is thriving at her job buying luxury heels and scarfs as presents. Her mother continues supporting her daughter, she feels with her but she also looks so alive even in her empathy for her daughter’s pain. Her ex-husband chose the path of revenge on people who might be involved in his son’s death no less than the actual culprit.
The only time Soo Hyun looks more alive is when she’s with Kwon Seon Yul (Cha Eun Woo) because they are the same in their pain. She tries to move on even if it’s hard to do but Seon Yul is still stuck in his pain. He’s a little rage ball, a mutt who needs a guardian. And Soo Hyun becomes the one for him. I’m going to enjoy their healing together, I already see so much potential in their mother-son-like relationship.
Everyone is shady
The angst is good and all but what about suspense? The Wonderful World has it too. The amount of theories I had after the first two episodes was huge. Then another two episodes dropped with new plot twists and I don’t know what to think anymore. Literally, everyone acts suspicious! I think the only people of suspicion are Soo Hyun’s mother and brother-in-law who probably don’t have time for this while he’s saving lives in the hospital.
I feel like the accident with the boy wasn’t an accident at all because the husband was digging dirt on the congressman and the culprit was working for said congressman. He was in that neighborhood for a reason and he didn’t take a boy to the hospital for a reason too. I don’t know what is the bigger picture here but the congressman looks like a major threat that so far is somewhere in the shadows and only the husband suspects him. And considering the hubby being a trash-man and fake-devoted, I hope Soo Hyun as the smart brilliant woman she is would find a way to defeat him in the end. The journey must be interesting!
Conclusion
I waited for this show for a while and it didn’t disappoint me, on the contrary, it only boosted my curiosity. I love it when I can theories and solve mysteries while watching. But I hold back a bit because it’s an MBC show and I don’t trust them to have a perfect plot. I expect plot holes that would lead to a dead-end but I would love to be wrong here.