[mslee's thoughts] Temptation - Will There Be An Acceptable and Respectable Ending?

Sadly, I am not so keen anymore to watch the remaining episodes after what happened in this week's episodes [13&14], but because I have to see the ending I must. But my enthusiasm for the drama has gone sour for the way the characters have gone overboard in expressing their feelings.

I have always understand Hong Joo and her pains and her inability to communicate her thoughts. I have seen her as the naive yet unchanging character when it comes to what she holds valuable like principles. But the way her character has been written to focus only on revenge is becoming absurd every week. Not that she is really the one executing the vengeance but rather her new husband, Min Woo. Still, she has not woken up from the nightmare she has been suffering since HongKong days. I love to see her in  peace, but the writer has not given her a minute of it yet. What's amazing is that despite her sole purpose of revenge, she retained her distinct character. Simple and money seems not her priority even if she has acquired the title to have it and waste it. 

The episodes this week showed that her new life does not make her comfortable but because she chose to be with Min Woo, she suffers the unending meddling of the mother-in-law, the ex-wife's cold arrogance and the kid's jealousies. Then there is Min Woo who has professed to like her, almost making a viewer in me believes that he fell in love with her but still not changing his ways, even coming home drunk after being with  a woman in his arms, or being interested with his ex-wife's seduction. I think his character just continues to go downhill with his uncontrollable desire to have any woman fulfill his needs. I was hoping he will be trying hard to get his wife's affection knowing she is not there for love in the first place. He knew it, there is no pretensions, and I hoped at least there will be respect and decency between them for a start.

Here comes Se Young whose character has turned 180 degrees from the cold, confident and intelligent business woman to someone becoming insecure, unsure and soft. Even if I have no problem with how she got her "love" and "happiness" [which really annoys me] and assuming that I understand her, her arrogance in front of Hong Joo still remains. Will she ever know how to be humble and accept her mistakes? Even at least one? Her father just collapsed at knowing the extent of her deviousness to pursue a married man, still, she was not sorry about them but instead mad at Min Woo. What her father heard are the true facts and she even admitted to them with her own mouth but still, she avoided saying sorry to her father for what she has done. It seems that she knew her share but will never be sorry about doing them. Does she truly love her father? [I say this because I am my father's daughter and whatever hurts him, if it is mine, countless sorry will immediately escape from my lips just to show how much I love him and wants his forgiveness and understanding] That's why i find it odd that what she said first thing is being back as the CEO of the company. At the end of the day, it is the most important for her. Fame, title, and being able to exact revenge on Min Woo. Is she truly sorry for hurting the old man? There is nothing wrong in what he said to her. He echoed what I believed i from the start. No to a married man! 

While Seok Hoon just told his ex-brother-in-law that it is okay to go for what he wants, what he desires, just like what he did. That means at any cost, even cheating. The sad part, Hong Gyu who knew Seok Hoon caused her sister a lot of pain just sold her off to this man and completely forgot who matters the most for him. I think the writer just made a strong message here regarding basic principles and in a twisted kind of way. Will Seok Hoon win in the end in this story?

The plot continues to be a mess. Maybe it is what the writer really wants to convey first. Make this story truly a makjang style drama. Make everything chaotic, make the characters do extreme measures to gain their goals.  Ridiculous and absurd at how the revenge plot is coming to play here. Min Woo versus Seok Hoon is one face off that I don't truly understand. Will Min Woo really be the most vicious character here and will have his downfall? I find him cunning as a businessman and he stays true to that aspect of his character. But for Seok Hoon to have a grudge towards him, when what he only did was spread rumors [which are facts] about him and Se Young and which he already confirmed at the party, this I really find irritating. Maybe because, he was being written as a man with righteous principles perhaps? A man who has regretted his mistakes and tried to move forward? A man who is definitely in love with Se Young and will prove to anyone he is sincere and right to find his real love?

Adding to the equation the meddling ex-wife, Ji Sun who can't stop scheming just to get her children. Now that she is divorced, she is planning on messing with Min Woo again by seducing him to be pregnant and to take her place again, perhaps?

Everyone seems to be progressing in worse ways. There seems to be no decency left if this scenarios will continue to develop in the coming episodes. And all because of finding true love!

Will there be an acceptable ending for everyone in the story? I am hoping for a respectable ending, something that will leave audience to ponder about what is right and what is wrong. The question is, will there be right and wrong in the end? Is redemption going to happen? Or will the leads of the drama get their happily ever after and the second leads will stay drowning in their misery and receive the "they deserve it" chants of the viewers who root for following your what your heart says.

My best ending for Hong Joo is that a miracle happens. That she get pregnant even if she thought she is infertile. I think a baby of her own will make all the pains and sufferings go away and make her focus only on the child inside her. A miracle that can also make Min Woo love her sincerely.  I think this is decent enough for someone like her who married again. It will be painful if she will be divorced twice and I think it will be cruel to have that fate for her after what the story had done to her.

Hong Joo needs to grow, needs to forgive, needs to be loved for the compassionate woman that she is, like her character has been written. The writer needs to go back to the basic plot and character description to assess the proper ending this story should have. Not only for hong Joo but for all the characters in the drama. Only then can a reasonable, acceptable and respectable ending can be written.

I am still holding on to the writer's principles and values.  I am hoping not to be disappointed in the end.

-mslee1107-