This drama continues to deliver and perform every week to the point where I find myself anxiously and excitingly waiting for the new episodes. Tuesday’s are now my favorite days in the week and I make sure to clear up my schedule at 9pm to watch the latest and newest episodes to this drama. ‘Revenge of Others’ continues to deliver to the point where I’ve even seriously considered going beyond just reviewing this drama and instead recapping it. I mean, at this point, might as well right?
Buttttt I’m not going to and instead I feel as if these weekly reviews should suffice for now. Episodes 7 and 8 of ‘Revenge of Others’ hit all the right spots once again and I was impressed with the direction that the drama took in the two latest episodes. As we saw in episode 8, we will get to see “hero” Soo-heon enact a revenge scheme again. Granted, it’s not against a new bully but instead, against a bully that he (and the rest of the school) is rather familiar with: Sa Jung-gyeong. Soo-heon beat him up pretty bad earlier in the drama, but things have shifted this time: Jung-gyeong now has an inkling that it was Soo-heon behind the attack. With the new hint and Soo-heon targeting Jung-gyeong again, how will this second part turn out? Will Jung-gyeong get his revenge on Soo-heon for what Soo-heon did to him? Will Soo-heon be able to put Jung-gyeong away and earn some money to support his sick mother who’s on life support at the hospital?
Episodes 7 and 8 still managed to maintain its momentum that it’s wonderfully built up over time, but things leveled up a notch the moment Soo-heon’s partner in crime, So-yeon, received another visit from one of the victim’s dad. The dad asked that they put Jung-gyeong away once and for all which was a complete shock. I didn’t think we would get to see “hero” Soo-heon again so soon given that he’s the current primary suspect of a murder investigation, but to see him back on his feet enacting revenge again is.. oddly.. a pleasant surprise. It’s oddly satisfying watching Soo-heon get back at the bullies, but it’s even more intriguing given that the risks and danger has greatly heightened this time. He’s already being investigated by detectives, but he also needs to accomplish this mission in order to financially support his ill mother. Soo-heon has to get this done or else there will be major repercussions.
As usual, the drama continues to throw punches and twists at us including Jae-bum potentially having been in a relationship with Won-seok as well as all signs pointing towards Oh-sung as the suspect behind Won-seok’s death. Oh-sung is also involved in the investigation as a potential suspect behind the second bully’s death and the most satisfying part about it so far is the fact that his father – the police chief – isn’t trying to protect him by removing all the evidence and sweeping things under the rug. For now, Oh-sung’s dad is going to let the detectives handle and manage the investigation while he watch from away and see how it unfolds. There’s no knowing whether he will eventually change his mind to protect his son, but I like that for now, he’s staying put and isn’t committing any corruption behind the scenes. I was afraid the drama would go the cliche route and have Oh-sung’s dad do the typical corrupted things we see in K-dramaland, but it doesn’t seem as if that’s the case for now. Bonus points for this drama for doing something different!
However, through all the investigations and clues and murder suspects and school drama, my favorite thing about this drama continues to be Chan-mi and Soo-heon’s relationship and the way they remind each other to stay grounded and focused. When Chan-mi was so upset and wanted to confront Oh-sung, Soo-heon reminded her not to go after him alone. When Soo-heon was in serious danger of getting caught by the detective, Chan-mi did her part by grabbing his stuff and taking it with her (for reasons of her own of course). When Soo-heon’s mother was in the hospital, Chan-mi accompanied him to visit her and she cried for him because she felt so powerless and couldn’t do much for him. As a birthday gift, Soo-heon gifted Chan-mi his mother’s valuable and meaningful red shoelaces per Chan-mi’s request. The two make sure to get on the same page and work together as a team to get the information and progress they need on their investigation. When the two aren’t on good terms with each other and it seems as if the tension between them is about to explode, they’re suddenly reminded that they’re on the same team. That they only have each other. That they can only trust each other.. That it’s them against the world.
Chan-mi and Soo-heon do things for each other out of love and sincerity. And perhaps what I love the most about their relationship is how natural and raw it all feels. It’s not forced on us and it doesn’t feel arbitrary. The scene of Chan-mi and Soo-heon sitting together at the hospital lobby and crying together in episode 8 has got to be the highlight of this drama for me so far. Just two high school kids a little lost and lonely in life finding comfort in each other’s presence as they fight the demons in their own lives. Chan-mi is determined to get to the truth behind her brother’s death; Soo-heon is determined to support his ill mother. They both are going through their own bumps and struggles in life, but they have each other which is why they can keep on going.
In episode 7, Soo-heon shared some words of wisdom while chatting informally with Chan-mi. He mentioned the importance of living and surviving and how the only responsibility one has in life is to live. He’s proven this to be true with the way that he’s supporting his sick mother so that she can continue to fight for her life in the hospital, but also in the way that he’s living his life at the moment. Soo-heon isn’t perfect by any means and he knows he doesn’t have much time left to live and he’s also aware that there are many more troubles that he’s going to face in the future. But he stays true to himself, to his mom, to his friends, and to Chan-mi. He’s doing whatever he can to survive. Similarly, despite also facing her own difficulties in life, Chan-mi has her own reasons to keep living. The drama never fails to remind us with every passing episode that Soo-heon doesn’t have much longer to live, but it’s through comments and messages about life as told by Soo-heon that we as viewers are reminded: Soo-heon and Chan-mi have a purpose in their respective lives that they are fulfilling. Perhaps the most important part of it is the fact that they have each other through it all.
MaryMeKpop 