Forbidden Love
Mine episode 2 begins with that returning ticking clock sequence. This time we see a little more of our murder, including oozing blood and a big reveal. There could be more than one victim here, especially if the narration is anything to go by. Back in the present, Yu-Yeon and Soo-Hyeok both find themselves thinking about each other. In fact, the pair sleep in and miss the cut-off for breakfast. It’s a pretty lavish affair in the dining room though, one boasting numerous dishes laid across the table. Meanwhile, Hi-Soo leaves in the morning but admits to Ja-Kyeong that she was pretty shocked about what transpired the night before. Hi-Soo soon comments on the girl’s legs, noticing how muscly they are. It turns out she used to horse ride, and on the back of this Hi-Soo suggests they get to know each other better. Speaking of getting to know people, Seo-Hyun hesitates over the video of her last episode. Eventually Seo-Hyun agrees to meet Mother Emma. Before that though, she busies herself with the art gallery, where she learns that Hi-Soo wants to set up an exhibition for a number of pieces for autistic children. Back at the mansion, Butler Joo waits for Ja-Kyeong impatiently as she shows up late to the kitchen for inspection. She talks over Joo though, claiming her only concern is Ha-Joon. She demands the butler not boss her around and eventually walks away, slamming the door in her face. When she walks off, she runs into Jin-Hee in the corridor. She claims to recognize Ja-Kyeong but quite from where – and how – remains to be seen. Anyway, this hot-tempered madam meets with Soon-Hye, who’s busy prepping the arranged marriage between Seo-Hyun and his bride It’s here we see more of Jin-hee’s bad mood swings, as she leaves her Mother and starts lashing out at those at the bakery, bemoaning the wrong consistency for the pastries. Meanwhile, Seo-Hyun decides against meeting with Mother Emma, leaving her to scoop up some cakes and take her leave. Seo-Hyun however, has met with Hi-Soo and questions her sister-in-law over the exhibition. She chalks it up to the girl simply wanting attention, especially as she used to be an actress. This is certainly ironic, especially given some flashbacks we receive of her speaking brightly to her Father about the arts. Elsewhere, Hi-Soo sits with Ja-Kyeong that evening drinking wine. Together they discuss the past, and specifically Ja-Kyeong’s ex-partner. She admits she hasn’t got over him yet. When Hi-Soo leaves, she greets her husband who decides to tuck her in. He scoops up Hi-Soo romantically as Ja-Kyeong watches from afar. In fact, she waits for Ha-Joon to return home before asking him about the poetry in his book. She grills him pretty hard but eventually learns that they’re song lyrics and not a confession. She continues to act attentive to his needs, as the pair eat together and have a good time. However, it’s a big day at the mansion. The arrival of our prospective bride has the place busy with preparations, including strict rules for all the workers to adhere to. Anyway, our bride shows and produces lavishes gifts for all the women in the house. They’re all pretty thoughtful gifts in truth, but it’s obvious this is all a ploy to nestle in with the family. The next day, Soon-Hye calls Hi-Soo, hysterical and demanding she come over immediately. Well, it seems like Jin-Hee’s little outburst has come back to bite her. The power trip has spread across the news, including some pretty damning pictures. Seo-Hyun shrugs it off when she finds out, deciding that the girl has dug her own grave and should be left to suffer. The rest of the family gather though, with Hi-Soo telling Jin-Hee she needs help. For the time being she’ll agree to meet with the reporter. There, we see more about Hi-Soo’s life. It seems like Ha-Joon lost her birth Mother when he was 18 months old and since then Hi-Soo has been raising the child. She reminds the reporter that blood doesn’t matter, and at the end of the day she’s definitely his Mother. When the reporter leaves, Mother Emma shows up which allows us to learn more about Hi-Soo’s past. Specifically, we learn about her history and how she met and fell in love with Ji-Yong. The shots of the past peek through here, with Ji-Yong horse riding and shooting. The final shot shows a woman in red riding toward him. Could this be Ja-Kyeong? It seems like that’s what we’re gearing up for and Ja-Kyeong could even be Ha-Joon’s birth mother as well. Meanwhile, more context is given to Seo-Hyun’s past. That video of her happens to be with a lover – a female lover. We get some brief glimmers of the pair together, where Seo-Hyun looks happy and content. As she heads out for the evening, Ja-Kyeong arrives before Soon-Hye with a murderous look on her face. Seo-Hyun senses something is up and hurries through the hallways. The scenes here are cut in an intriguing way, clearly cutting some crucial background which I’m sure we’ll receive in the weeks ahead. Anyway, the next scene is of Ja-Kyeong back home. She brushes her hand against Jin-Ho’s and smiles wryly.
The Episode Review
Mine bows out its first week with a pretty good follow-up episode, one that manages to intrigue enough to stick with this one for the time being. The rich and poor divide is nothing new in K-drama land but this drama looks like it’s going to focus almost exclusively on the rich side of things, showcasing a much more interesting dynamic across these different fractured relationships. With no Chairman Han this time, the reveal surrounding Seo-Hyun is a good one while Jin-Hee’s spoilt outbursts come back to bite her when reporters get involved. And it serves her right too. More interesting than that however, are the teasing tidbits surrounding Hi-Soo and Ja-Kyeong. It seems like Ja-Kyeong may well be the birth mother of Ha-Joon and the show is leaning into that angle a fair amount over the course of this episode. We’ll have to wait and see of course but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of that relationship come to light in the weeks ahead. For now though, Mine does just enough to keep things engaging but whether this one can stand out next to so many other melodramas in this category remains to be seen.
