The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun delved deeply into the mother’s heartbreaking maternal love for her daughter, as well as the loneliness of a neglected child, successfully evoking the emotions of viewers. The delicate portrayal of the characters' inner lives amid the tumultuous developments heightened the immersion level in the home drama.
In the broadcast on the 12th, episode 4 of the MBC daily drama The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun (written by Seol Kyeong-eun, directed by Kim Jin-hyung), Baek Seol-hee (Jang Sin-young) was depicted as obsessively investigating the assault case involving her daughter Baek Mi-so (Lee Ru-da), uncovering the deep scars that Min Se-ri (Park Seo-yeon) had been harboring. In particular, the process of revealing the truth behind the retaliatory assault and Se-ri's heartfelt tears in Min Kyung-chae's (Yoon Ah-jung) arms showcased another layer of wounds and conflicts, leaving a deeper resonance.
On this day, the anguish of Seol-hee, who discovered Mi-so bloodied in an alley, struck a chord with viewers. In front of the operating room, her prayers, saying, "If anything happens to my Mi-so, I can’t live. How can I live without my child?" relayed the mother’s desperate emotional state, conveying the pain and guilt of not being able to protect her daughter, as well as her unwavering faith that her daughter would surely recover.
Meanwhile, Mun Tae-kyung (Seo Ha-joon) sought out Jo Pil-doo (Lee Han-wi) to uncover the truth behind the traffic accident that claimed his parents' lives. The tension escalated as Tae-kyung demanded the truth, stating, "The real culprit made you confess in his place," while Pil-doo obstinately denied, saying, "No matter how many times you ask, I caused the accident."
Above all, what stood out in this episode was the revelation of Se-ri's deep scars. After hearing the cruel words "You’re now someone who has nothing to do with me" from Kyung-chae, Se-ri desperately clung to her. Ultimately, as Se-ri buried her face in Kyung-chae’s arms, her confession, "The nanny disliked me, I knew that even as a child. That's why you felt like a mother to me," revealed the subtle relationship between Kyung-chae and Se-ri, adding depth to the drama.
Meanwhile, the truth of Mi-so's retaliatory assault incident was further clarified. After Mi-so regained consciousness, the scene where she told a friend that the person who hit her was Se-ri, who had caused a scene at the café, heightened the tension. The friend conveyed the truth of the incident, handing over a dress that Mi-so intended to give as a birthday present but got ruined due to Se-ri's assault. Convinced that it was not a simple accident but a malicious retaliatory attack, Seol-hee was filled with rage, hinting at her next step to uncover justice and heightening viewers' expectations.
In this way, The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun, with Jang Sin-young's fierce maternal love, portrayed the hidden pain of Min Se-ri, delivering the charm of a so-called "emotional revenge drama" beyond a simple revenge tale as emphasized by director Kim Jin-hyung. Additionally, the dual narrative structure featuring Seol-hee and Tae-kyung, as they sought the truth related to the incident involving their daughter and the accident of their parents in the past, enhanced the drama’s completeness and maximized viewer immersion. It remains to be seen how Seol-hee will achieve justice for her daughter, what changes the wounded Se-ri will exhibit in her relationship with Kyung-chae, and how the past truth that Tae-kyung is searching for is connected with the present.
Meanwhile, episode 5 of the MBC daily drama The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun will air on the 13th at 7:05 p.m.
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