I’ve waited until the final week to get started on Queen of Tears because I just could not sit still for eight weeks to find out what happens next. I was right, by Night 2, I was already done with 14 episodes and waiting along with the rest of the world for the weekend (and the finale episodes) to arrive.

So the question was? Did the final episode do the show justice?

There were a lot of criticism towards the show heading towards the final week. Some accused it of being makjang, or a mix of every genre because there was the court case between the villainess Moh Sulhee and the Hong family. There was also the kidnapping of Hae In by the delusional Eun Sung. Oh, and let’s not forget Baek Hyun Woo getting hit by a car.

In some respect, the criticisms had a point. After all, wasn’t it all too much to close out in the last episode? Surprisingly, it was not. And this was because the show made sure that there was plenty of time to settle the existing storylines. With an hour and 50 minute runtime, Queen of Tears did not shortchange it fans with a half baked ending. In fact, it went above and beyond to make sure that we knew they were serving a happy ending. By the hour and 30 minute mark, all the conflicts were wrapped up nicely and we had a clean 20 minutes to tie up the loose ends and watch BaekHong fall in love with each other awkwardly again.

Episode Highlights

I liked the Hyun Woo’s response to Hae In when he woke up from his near death experience when she was apologizing to him about forgetting him and treating him poorly after her surgery. When he said that he was sorry too, because he also forgot how much he loved her and vowed to stay by her side when he considered divorcing her, it seemed to even the playing field between the couple. It ceased to become a scorecard where the viewers were calculating how much Hyun Woo did for Hae In and what did she do in return?

I’ve got to admit that while most viewers were partial to Hyun Woo because of his earnestness, my heart also went out to Hae In, who was lonely all her life and relied only on her husband for unconditional support. To find out that he was plotting to leave her was something that was not easy to forgive, especially given her track record of being betrayed. However, at that moment, it seemed like they got their fresh start. They had a clean slate, knowing what they knew and learning from their failure.

I liked Aunt Beomja’s confession and how the entire village heard about it. It was definitely one for the books.

Soocheol finding his true purpose in protecting his family and becoming a good father *chefs kiss*

And while Eun Sung was a deplorable villain for the most part of the series, I could not help but applaud the depth of the acting that Park Sunghoon delivered especially towards the end where he was desperately trying to convince Hae In to choose him over Hyun Woo. His vulnerability at that moment, plus his depressing backstory made him seem more human. He pulled it off perfectly.

At the time the narration rolled over and the BaekHong couple as well as their families got their happy ending, I must admit that I wanted more sweet moments to appease me for the amount of tears I shed for this series.

The ending scene was so beautiful, and a closure to the foreshadowing in the earlier episodes. Hyun Woo’s promise to join Hae In in the afterlife and Hae In’s promise to come get him when it was time. Coupled with Kim Soo Hyun’s perfect singing of Way Home for the final OST entry, it was just beautiful.

PS. I just feel that I need to give a shoutout to Hyun Woo’s bestie Yang Gi who stood by his side from beginning to end. He’s his ride or die and without the divorce attorney’s discretion in calling the cops, BaekHong could have actually died.

So, was it good or bad? Perhaps, its a matter of taste. And for me, it was a great ending to this rollercoaster ride. I hope this cast gets to work together again on something lighter. I get the feeling that they would deliver in flying colors.