Ep 1-4 Review: Overall a Recommendation Review

(First of all, I wasn't sure to put this in a Review or Discussion post)

I'm going to try and be as spoiler free as I can, although My Dearest has barely started airing (with only four episodes out).

My Dearest, like many have pointed out in the comment section on MDL, is very reminiscent of the movie Gone With the Wind. I actually watched Gone With the Wind for the first time upon hearing about the comparison to see what people were talking about.

Our FL Yoo Gilchae (played by the very talented Ahn Eunjin) is just like Scarlett in the sense that she is very cunning and confident of herself. But of course, she is sheltered and appears to be more spoiled. Though it is the looming threat of war that sets the tone of the show. And Gilchae has major character development in episode 4 because of the war.

The ML, Lee Janghyun on the other hand is Rhett, a man who appears to be selfish and only acts for himself. Though become enamored by the confident attitude of the FL. Personally I'd say that Namkoong Min has really added his own charm to the Rhett character. Of course we'd really have to thank the screenwriter for changing his character.

Namkoong Min, for those who are already aware of this actor- has insane charisma on screen and it seems that he just keeps on getting better and better though each project he takes on. His character Lee Janghyun has secrets that even the audience can't begin to guess. He's skilled with a sword and appears to have a lot of knowledge of military tactics. For someone who moves like a nomad, he has money, and connections to a lot of people. He's charming, smart, and is not one to fall for the trick of blind loyalty.

I feel like I'm hyping him up excessively but as someone who has seen a lot of Namkoong's other works, this one just seems next level.

Ashley and Melanie take the form of Nam Yeonjun and Kyung Eunae. Because My Dearest takes place in Joseon during the Qing invasion- There is the added plot of Yeonjun and Eunae having a promised engagement since they were young. Though Eunae very much loves Yeonjun.

In my opinion, and from what I've seen in the four episodes that have aired, this is where the similarities to Gone With the Wind end. Nobody got married before the men went off to fight and /thankfully/ Gilchae isn't as obsessed with Yeonjun as Scarlett was with Ashley.

But the writing, the acting, the directing have been excellent. I want to talk about a few stand out scenes that have happened in these four episodes.


- Firstly, I need to talk about Gilchae's dream sequence. From the first episode, we see a beach where Janghyun is located. It's at sunset or dusk and the sky is a beautiful shade of oranges and pinks. Gilchae's dream starts out with a red roll of yarn falling out of her hand and rolling like it has a mind of its own. Of course this is referencing 'the red string of fate'. The red yarn takes her out of her village, through the forest, all while the seasons are changing. She is running though fall, winter, summer, spring. And the string stops at the beach Janghyun is at. Overall, it's such a beautiful sequence and it has a lot of importance. I'm sure someone could even write an essay of its own about the foreshadowing this dream has. Her dream is also recurring- we see it again in episode four, and I'm sure we'll see this dream more in the future as well.

- Then, the scene of the grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party. If anyone has watched Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People- I think you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that this screenwriter (Hwang Jinyoung) is great at creating tension in something that should be peaceful. The grandparents are a couple that are very cute and their party is just overall really touching- but the joy that's being shared overlayed with clips of the barbarians making their way to Joseon makes the audience feel uneasy and full of anxiety of what's to come.

- Episode 4 is a masterpiece in its own. Continuing on from the situation that ep 3 ended on, we face the reality of war. This is brutal, and it won't get better. Some may say that the first three episodes were too silly or had too much comedy, although episode four wouldn't feel so real if it didn't have that normalcy in the beginning. I found myself sobbing for characters that only had at most 30 min of screentime. Namkoong Min shines as Janghyun. He's dependable and he's ready to fight for those he cares about. We realize that he didn't join the other men because if all the men go out to fight, who will protect the elderly, the women, and the children back home. Truly, his charisma will have you calling him husband like Gilchae did at the end of the episode.

Gilchae's character development is beautiful and moving. She went from deluding herself that Yeonjun is in love with her to helping a women give birth, protecting the small group she's with from barbarians, and just really showcasing how smart and brave she truly is. This is a scary situation, especially for a group of women- and even if Gilchae laughed off the idea of war and self defense in the beginning. With the help of Janghyun's warnings, advice, and dagger, she matures.


I am really looking forward to the future episodes and it's been really surprising how not many people are checking this show out. Honestly, I've been looking forward to this show since I saw that Hwang Jinyoung was writing it. (If you see her list of works, you'll know why). Truly, her two past works are in my top 5 sageuks.

Also, a lot of the hesitancy I've seen towards this drama is regarding the ending people think it's going to have. All I can say is that Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (a show by Hwang Jinyoung), opened by showing the FL being tied up on a pole and being shot in the chest by the ML. And that show has a happy ending with everyone surviving. So, I wouldn't put off My Dearest because of the tone the first episode set about the ending.

It feels like it's been a long time since there has been a truly mature historical drama here in dramaland. I hope everyone who loves historical dramas will check this out ! Even if you don't usually enjoy historical dramas, please give this show a chance. At least watch until episode four.

Thank you for reading :)

Read More