[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Dating Agency: Cyrano" Episode 15

The final act of "Dating Agency: Cyrano" is definitely utilizing all the information and setting that's been established so far. Unfortunately it's doing so in a rather uninspiring way. I felt uncomfortable when I saw last week's cliffhanger. This drama has dealt with lots of interesting tropes in imaginative ways, but kidnapping? That's not even a trope that's particularly popular in romances. And where it does show up, the unfortunate implications far outweigh any decent drama.

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I've been watching this drama as a romantic comedy. I can't imagine that anyone else has been doing differently, simply because of the premise. The strengths of the drama are its honest emotional conversations and build-ups. Its big shocking moments work mainly because they're unexpected. When we get the occasional scene that doesn't mesh well with the established tone, it works because there's a strong urgency to the situation, and a general acknowledgment among the characters that creative thinking is necessary. We don't get any of that here, though, because rather than just being a single surprising moment, that instant of heavy drama defines the entire episode.

This can even damage scenes that would normally work well precisely because they do fit this tonal framework. The subplot between Moo-Jin and Hye-Ri hits an excellent spot in this episode. It becomes clear that both of them have been holding back from each other, necessitating a confrontation. While it seems discordant with what we know of the characters, the overall revelation works well because of the authenticity behind their reactions, justifications, and attempts at making peace.

But then we're almost immediately thrown back to the main plot. Which involves kidnapping and serious physical danger to every character. At one point someone actually bleeds from an injury caused by an explosive device. This is not something that has been built up to in previous episodes. Outside of one scene where Seung-Pyo gets into a fight, there's been no hint that anyone has ever been in that kind of physical danger.

In the context of the drama, I can understand these plot events and how they make logical sense. Just because they make sense doesn't mean they work for watching, and the damage done to the drama is bad. It's not terrible- I still enjoy many of the episodes I've seen already. This new development doesn't retroactively ruin those sub-plots. It's just disappointing because I'd been expecting a lot more.

Review by William Schwartz

"Dating Agency: Cyrano" is directed by Kang Kyeong-hoon, written by Shin Jae-won and features Lee Jong-hyuk, Choi Soo-young, Hong Jong-hyun and Jo Yoon-woo.