[Drama Recap] Make A Woman Cry: Episode 19

Jin-woo isn't at all sure how to deal with the information he learned from his son. In the immediate sense all Jin-woo really knows is that he has to continue making a sincere emotional effort to help Deok-in out, because this new information doesn't change the basics of their emotional bond. Deok-in is a woman who's always trying very hard to do the right thing, and not always succeeding. Particularly when it comes to Kyeong-cheol.

I really honestly do feel sorry for Kyeong-cheol. He's a man with no options. When he was trying to get married to Jin-hee, Kyeong-cheol's family stubbornly fought them every step of the way, and his mother even tried to kill herself. Now Kyeong-cheol has given up on that aspiration, and is trying to live at home again in accordance with their wishes. Yet here too Kyeong-cheol's family just continues to rudely give him grief.

It's easy to see why Kyeong-cheol didn't want to hang around these people. Kyeong-cheol may not have the most pleasant personality but he's still a member of this family. Kyeong-cheol is hurting, and all his family will tell him in response is that he's a jerk and they don't like him. On a certain obvious level the question really does come up- why do they insist on fighting him? Do they want Kyeong-cheol around or not? Simply disowning him would be a mercy compared to this treatment.

The problems of Kyeong-cheol's situations are bad enough that "Let the Girl Cry" comes dangerously close to sapping the sympathy of the actual main characters. The new information Jin-woo has discovered is very severe. Even so, why should Kyeong-cheol care about other people's problems when they won't show any consideration to him? The emotional complexity of the Jin-woo / Deok-in relationship is the main thing keeping their situation sympathetic. It's odd to think that they've been seriously discussing marriage even though the two have never kissed.

In context this does make sense and in terms of odd praise, "Let the Girl Cry" definitely deserves point for excellent handling of context. The one weakness, as usual, is the rich family drama. Although at this point the cliches inherent in that storyline are probably a reminder that whatever else it may appear to be, "Let the Girl Cry" is still a weekend family drama, and just as the title says, sometimes there's not much more help you can give to a person than just letting them have a good cry.

Review by William Schwartz