There are many moments where Mine makes me cringe, and it's mainly in how this supposedly elite, wealthy, privileged, and powerful family despises each other, barely tolerating one another, miserable from having to live a lie day in and day out. Whoever said money doesn't make one happy wasn't lying. But there are also moments that I truly enjoy, even if they are far and few between at times.
One such moment was in episode nine, the reading of the will. I knew the Chairman would make Seo Hyun CEO, but what he did to his wife, Ji Yong and Jin Ho, was not only amusing but so very fitting. But more so, he seems to know what's going on and enjoying the mess he's making of everything and everyone. I doubt either will take it lying down. The true ugliness, or maybe I should say vileness is in full force now. With everything Ji Yong has done and will continue to do, his death was inevitable.
I love, love Seo Hyun. Without a doubt, she is by far the best part of this drama. I love that she is classy, composed, and quite powerful, but there is a coldness about her that doesn't come from being hard but more like imprisoned by the hard choices she had to make to survive in the world of the rich and elite. Despite it, she is without a doubt is the one that keeps the Hyo Won Group's reputation and facade intact, not only protecting her marriage but the marriages, children, and professional lives of all involved and all that while running her own business. But more than all that, I truly appreciate the drama for depicting a different side to the sister-in-law's dynamic between Seo Hyun and Hi-Soo not only are they friends, but they actually love and care for one another but would do anything to keep each other and those they love out of the limelight and safe. I adore them together and their fight to protect Ha Joon from his monster of a father.
On a separate note, the battle for Ha Joon reminds me of the American movie Loving Isaiah about a drug-addicted single (black) mother who accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. The baby is then adopted by a loving (white) social worker and her husband. Years later, after learning her son is still alive, the mother, who was now clean and held a steady job, challenges the adoptive parents for custody. The circumstances in this drama are different, but the story is similar. It raises the question of whom the baby belongs with, the parent it has bonded with, or the biological mother.
One of the major issues I perceive is whether Hye Jin forfeited her right as a parent. And if so, who determines that, the courts, the child, Hi Soo, so on and so forth. My aversion to Hye Jin notwithstanding, my instinct is to allow her to raise her child and prove herself and give the child the right to choose. But that's always easier said than done. As for Seo Hyun and her love, in my opinion, is the most beautiful aspect of this drama. I hope there's a way for them to survive the carnage that is the Hyo Won Group family. The problem is that there are no satisfactory answers - no way anyone can find a solution without causing significant pain, if not a tragedy, for all involved, but specifically for both Hi Soo and Seo Hyun but also Ha Joon. However, I hope Hi Soo and Hye Jin do what benefits their son more than themselves in the long run. I love that the three ladies, Hye Jin, Hi-Soo, and Seo Hyun, put all the differences aside to defeat a bigger enemy in Jin Yong. Watch Episodes 9 and 10 here.