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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Heirs" Episode 16

While the romantic storyline in this drama is fairly repetitive, I have to give it credit for managing to pull a fast one. Eun-Sang has been doing the pouty face thing for so long it genuinely didn't even occur to me that there was something more to it this time. In one sense, the episode really just repeats its own plot all over again- but thanks to the changed context and the way Kim Tan is typically the focus character, the ending manages to sneak in very effectively.

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The corporate intrigue plotline manages to sputter out with comically little fanfare. We get a clear sense that, in the end, the balance of power really is pretty horribly one-sided. It's been difficult to guess what exactly's going on with Nam-Woo. Sure, he's the patriarch of the company, but the way he's been dealing with the Eun-Sang situation has, up until now, been pretty horribly efficient. It begs the question of why he's only making the offer to send her overseas now, rather than several episodes ago.

Well, I can think of one good reason. Because at that point in the narrative we hadn't spent any time at the school, and the relationship between Kim Tan and Eun-Sang wasn't strong enough for it to make much sense for her to want to rebuff the offer. Who ever heard of something as silly as a drama about teen romance that didn't spent a fair amount of time at a high school?

I'll admit that's a pretty cynical appraisal of the storyline, but at this point it's fairly clear that "The Heirs" is a drama designed for that kind of genre appeal. There's not really any horribly serious problems with the characterization or anything like that- everyone actually behaves pretty logically for the most part. It's just that this is a drama with fairly little plot, and when the narrative does require something to happen, this event is usually carefully designed to squeeze out the maximum tension.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. The cliffhanger here is excellent. I've been taking it for granted that the drama is going to come up with a happy ending somehow, but it's pretty difficult to imagine how coming from a standpoint like this. My main hope is that we don't get any more scenes of Kim Tan moping- the ones in this episode were sufficient enough. And besides, I'd really like to see him aim that sparkling aggressiveness of his at someone aside from another teenage at some point.

Review by William Schwartz

"The Heirs" is directed by Kang Sin-hyo and written by Kim Eun-sook and features Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, Kim Woo-bin and Jung Soo-jung.

Added episode 16 for the Korean drama "The Heirs"

 

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