Alone in Love is one of the most depressing dramas I’ve watched, an unusual distinction for a show that doesn’t end with a pile of dead bodies, or even a pile of irrevocably broken hearts. It’s not so much an issue of dark plot twists, though there are real tragedies in the characters’ histories, as of overall world view. If you ever wondered what a romantic comedy would look like refracted through the lithium-laced sensibility of a suicide here’s your chance. When I later read that the author of the Japanese novel the show is based on killed himself, a lot of pieces fell into place. If you can stomach the underlying bleakness (and incessant donut shilling), the drama does feature outstanding performances by Son Ye Jin and Kam Woo Sung as a divorced couple struggling to move on. Their scenes are funny and heartbreaking, if a bit repetitive, as they try to reconcile old wounds with lingering desires. The rest of the cast is strong as well, keeping the show engaging when the meandering plot becomes too slice-of-life for its own good. However, even when things are going swimmingly for all concerned, an omnipresent haze of alienation lingers like stale cigarette smoke over the proceedings. The script may tell you that better days lie ahead, but it’s more convincing in its pain than in its joy.