What Happened To Jin?
Episode 6 of When I Was The Most Beautiful sees yet another time jump forward. This happens to be one of the bigger issues with this drama and the constant jumps mean character development is far more rushed than it perhaps should be. Still, this episode sets the foundations for the second half to follow and leaves the door wide open for where this one may go next. The episode begins with Hwan heading to the coroner’s office and looking over a dead body. However, that body is not his brother Jin. After throwing up in the toilets, we cut forward 3 years after the accident. Ye-Ji’s Mother is released from prison but with no one to greet her, she heads off by herself. This brings her back to Dreamtel where she gets talking to her sister about Ye-Ji’s life. Il-Hwa tells her not to look for Ye-Ji and gets to work sorting out some clothes for her. Ye-Ji is now a newbie artist at the art gallery. Working by her side are Jung-Il and Da-Woon who help her dress the exhibition walls. As the night gets underway, she’s greeted by numerous people who look over her work. Among them happens to be Yeon-Ja who now has grey hair and is very clearly bitter. She silently walks inside and starts smashing plates on the floor. She confronts Ye-Ji about Jin until Sung-Gon arrives and gives her the hard truth – they have to face facts that Jin may be dead. As Ye-Ji faints, she’s taken to the hospital. After being discharged, Ye-Ji returns to Sung-Gon’s workshop where she learns about her Mother being released. As she and Sung-Gon talk, he tells her to stay there for the evening while he heads to Seoul with Jung-Il. Just then, he arrives with a box full of the smashed plates from the exhibition. Alone, Ye-Ji looks over the cracked pieces and remembers moments from her past involving her Mother. As she contemplates what to do next, Chan-Hee phones through and gives her some words of encouragement. Hwan meanwhile is woken up by his girlfriend Amber. Together they sit and eat noodles together. They’re far too spicy for her though but midway through he receives a call and races off. Ye-Ji meanwhile starts sketching out in the garden. Unbeknown to her, Sung-Gon receives a visit from the Gallery Director Kang Hae-So who suggests Ye-Ji should be doing another exhibition shortly. Ye-Ji meanwhile heads off to visit Kim Go-Woon who, as we know, is her Mother. She’s working at a tailoring company and stops when she notices her daughter there. Up on the roof they talk together. She asks her Mother whether she had a divorce and holds her wrist. Only, Go-Woon shrugs her off and tells her not to visit again. As far as she’s concerned, she’s not her daughter. Teary-eyed, Ye-Ji leaves her an envelope of money and leaves. Her Mother meanwhile struggles to contain herself as she clutches it close to her chest. “I’m sorry Ye-Ji,” She mutters. Ye-Ji meanwhile is beside herself and starts crying. In-Ho is there to console her though and while he holds her close, someone photographs her from afar. Back at the workshop, Yeon-Ja returns with a whole group of suited people. She’s the one who took all the pictures and she’s using them to frame Ye-Ji into looking like she’s having an affair. This time it doesn’t look like Sung-Gon’s backing is enough to protect her though. Ye-Ji decides to take this advice and leaves. As she does, Sung-Gon returns home and realises what’s happening, phoning through to try and find Ye-Ji. Given her passport is gone, this brings him to Hwan who hasn’t seen her either. He believes that if she’s head over to the US then it will be to find Jin. Hwan starts tracing her steps and eventually catches up to Ye-Ji who is not in the States but actually on Jeju Island. This brings him to a church where the two finally see each other for the first time in years. Rushing over to her, Hwan embraces the grief-stricken girl and promises to be there for her.
The Episode Review
The time jumps in this series are getting a little ridiculous. We’ve suddenly jumped forward another 3 years now and the character development makes it seem like we’re constantly playing catch-up. The whole situation with Jin seems so sudden and with him gone it brings up big questions. Why is he gone? Has he just driven off into the sunset? Was there a crash? Where’s the body? There’s not much explanation around this which makes the whole situation quite confusing. This is made even worse by Ye-Ji’s mum returning and the situation with Yeong-Ja which again isn’t given much time to flesh out. I’d like to see her desperation turn to bitterness and that dramatic descent but sadly we don’t see any of this. It’s a shame as this drama definitely has some positives but right now there’s some cracks appearing with this.
