The conflict in
"Beautiful Gong Shim"
is quite contrived. Circumstances are such that the show should have a
constant thread of tension weaving in and out of scenes and character
development, but the tension flags and wanes on such a regular basis
that it is no longer compelling.
The main source of this tension,
or the lack of it, is Dan-tae's childhood kidnapping and the family
members involved. Pacing is slow in order to stretch out the mystery,
but there isn't enough material to span the next six episodes and so
Dan-tae's and Joon-soo's investigations inch along, hitting small
pebbles of discovery along the way that are neither satisfying or
significant.
That said, the distrust flaming between the cousins may be the most
interesting aspect of the show at this point. Dan-tae realizes Joon-soo
is hiding something, and vice versa, but neither can bring himself to
disclose the truth. These sorts of secrets are a staple of K-drama and
are used when the plot can't sustain itself as this one cannot. In this
case, it isn't a total copout; Joon-soo is trying to protect his mother
and his silence (temporarily) buys her innocence. This misunderstanding
bourn of silence is no less frustrating, but at least it is
understandable.
As I say every review, the villains are a joke.
The uncle now didn't "mean" to kidnap young Joon-pyo. He was under
duress - blah, blah, blah. The Joon-soo's mom is "only" guilty of
silence. Gong Mi is "only" worried about her love life. These people are
so selfish and one dimensional that they are insufferable. A villain
with no depth is a villainous cutout, not a full-fledged character.
It would be amiss of me to neglect to mention the lovely chemistry
between Gong Shim and Dan-tae. They make a lovely, quirky couple who
understand each other. Dan-tae should open up and confide in her. Love
is a partnership and he should treat her that way.
Written by: Raine from '
Raine's Dichotomy'
"Beautiful Gong Shim" is directed by
Baek Soo-chan, written by
Lee Hee-myeong, and features
Namgoong Min,
Minah, Oh Joo-wan,
Seo Hyo-rim,
Oh Hyun-kyeong, and
Woo Hyeon.
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