Chegou a Hora da Verdade! (2023)

What Could Have Been, but wasn't

I want you to imagine a situation where Writer A gets his concept for a series green-lighted by KBS. Except he learns the network wants to stretch his 16-episode concept to a 50 episode weekender. UGH! He can’t handle that! So he reaches out to his college buddy, Writer B. “Bro, I can’t handle 50 eps! How about I do the first half and you take over the 2nd? I’ll pay you as long as we keep my name on the credits?” “Sure, dude, can do! I can use the cash! Just let me know when I should start, bud.”.

And we’re off and running….
Writer A’s first part of the series is fun, clever, and sweet. And so fast-paced that it was praised by all! We watch our leads progress quickly from enemies to friends to almost-lovers. Our leading man is doing great in his comeback role. Even those bitchy fans on MDL are cheering them on! We’ve got co-parenting while bringing in potential love interests, one couple trying to get back to their glory days of youth, and a growing love plot between 2 unlikely characters! The 2FL's plots to break them up all fail hilariously! And a Shaman giving us crazy scenes of the future!

Except the problem is Writer B isn’t paying that much attention to the first half (Writer A’s work) and has his OWN ideas for the 2nd half. So he begins writing his scripts to fit the show's loose outline he’s been given. He follows his own agenda, anyways, plus, he notices some things in the show so far, that need to be addressed:
• KJH actor is a really good-looking guy with high approval rate among women. Need to emphasize him!
• The lead couple has poor chemistry. Need to reduce situations that exacerbate this.
• The lead actress seems increasingly distracted and cold. Need to minimize her lines.
• There are too many secondary couples. Need to minimize some of these characters.

So writer A taps out…either voluntarily or under pressure from KBS seeking a re-vamp; take your pick of conspiracy theories. And here comes Writer B. He looks at the arcs for the characters he's left with and says, “NAH! This doesn’t fit my vision, so I’ll just write out some of these characters, or simply pretend meaningful events in the first half didn’t happen.” This is HIS show now and he’s going to appeal to the fans by making the 2ML a prime character and bringing some DRAMA to this series, because ratings will spike for sure!!! And he’s got about 20 episodes left to go, so he can take his time, and stop all this fast-paced stuff.

And this, my friends is what we are left with. Two completely different shows featuring the same(ish) characters which are grafted onto each other. The first half is GOLD: A bright new series that promised to make us forget the previous 2 weekenders that ended up failing. And it’s a comeback vehicle for both ML & FL. For 30-ish episodes we bask in the fun we’re having here. The second half unfortunately is MANURE. Slow-paced, filled with a conveyor-belt of angst for the leads, who grow increasingly awkward and characters who suddenly disappear. And the new series revolves around the 2ML – he is the catalyst that moves the script.

It’s almost as if the 2nd half was a spinoff of the first half, which would have been OK, if they had actually made it a separate show that we’d have the option to ignore. Also, if the first half had been given a logical conclusion. But no, we got this hodgepodge.

In prior k-dramas, I’ve loved to go back and watch old episodes and relive some past meaningful scenes. We’ve all done it….it’s FUN. But I can’t do that here. Because every time I try to watch something in Episodes 1-30 I get sad and think ‘what could have been”.

That’s the theme of this show: “What could have been”. This could have been a great series that lived up to its hype of resurrecting the weekend family drama. That could have made the most of its strong cast. That could have held us through 50 episodes, from the beginning of Spring thru the end of Summer. That could have kept us laughing and cheering on our leads as they try to keep up their farce of a fake marriage and the pitfalls of continuously lying to their parents.

So, for the new viewers asking if this show is worth watching, be forewarned. You can approach it as a limited edition series and watch from 1-32. But you’ll have to accept the fact that the show is essentially unfinished. 33-49 is basically No Mans Land: DO NOT WATCH. If you wish, you can watch Ep 50 for the finale. But be warned that the FL does not act as you expected her to from the first 20 episodes or so. And that some characters are missing.

But really, there are better options for you. If you’re looking for a romantic series, this ain’t it. And it loses it on the comedy front at Ep 33. Sure, there are some funny moments, but they are awkwardly placed amongst the angst prevalent in the balance of each episode. There really isn’t a niche the entire series fits into, because it’s 2 series back to back.

Finally, there is a reason there are over 17,000 comments here. YLAG, one of the most polarizing weekenders that REALLY pissed off its audience generated 8,800 comments. Think about that for TRHC: Seventeen THOUSAND! Since a high comment counts equals an aggrieved audience, this series 17K can give you an idea of what’s going on with the fans here.

When you clicked on this page, you saw the comment count. It stands as a silent warning: BEWARE TO ALL WHO WATCH THIS.

Leia Mais

The Writers Gave Up

To be honest, I have no clue what happened. I started out very excited and hopeful, but all of that was snuffed out very quickly.


There is so much to be frustrated about in this drama, but the most notable for me personally is being able to physically see the writers giving up.
Based on what I was presented with early on, Yeon Doo’s dedication to her job, Tae Kyung’s absolutely horrid family, etc., I was expecting to see a drama where Yeon Doo tried to stay on top despite being a single mother in the workplace and Tae Kyung to break free from his very toxic family environment. Instead, I got Yeon Doo basically giving up without a fight (until the very end) and Tae Kyung continuing to take his family’s bullshit. The writers began with a very clear view and presentation of the type of person each character was, but they ultimately gave up on portraying them in a way that made sense considering what had already been established.

In all honesty, everything after episode 30 was a fever dream, and it was very frustrating to see.

Characters such as Tae Kyung and Yeon Doo’s mothers faced zero consequences for the horrible things they said and tried to do, ( alienating and demonizing their own children, being horrible people, playing victim) and they both suddenly had changes of heart and decided to become mother of the year overnight ( seriously, I almost got whiplash and I one hundred percent thought it was a ploy to get their trust and try and break them up).

The writers just decided that they were going to ignore any previously established characters traits, flaws, misdeeds and otherwise unforgivable actions or words in order to have a big happy family at the end.

We got Tae Kyung’s father, (who stared him dead in his eyes as he knelt before him crying and begging for him to let him and Yeon Doo stay together, and told him he was a horrible son [for wanting to be happy I guess]), suddenly claiming Yeon Doo as his daughter in law and Ha Neul as his granddaughter.

Grandmother, (who orchestrated much of the mistreatment of Tae Kyung, who routinely referred to Yeon Doo as a thing), was suddenly the poster child for doting grandparents.

All of these family members who had said and done unforgivable things were all of a sudden a big happy family that loved Yeon Doo and Tae Kyung and wanted to see them happy.

This isn’t even mentioning the mishandling of the absolute dumpster fires that were Se Jin and Jun Ha’s storylines. This drama fell so completely and utterly flat because no one thought to see things through. There was much that was left unresolved and much that was skipped over, and the only reason I watched all 50 episodes was out of spite. At least they tried, but I could have written a better drama in my sleep.

(Tae Kyung and Yeon Doo, tired of the mistreatment and abuse, leave, only staying in contact with the sensible family members. - This would have cut the drama in half)

Leia Mais

"The Real Has Come" s/b called “The Roller Coaster is Here” [UPDATE at Episode 50]

As of Episode 34, the viewer is at precisely 2/3 of the way through a 50 episode drama and for some inexplicable reason, the writers chose to make a major detour in the story-line and the question now is: was the detour planned all along OR, have they chosen to re-write (ignore) the history and canon presented thus far. I don’t know the answer – so this review is for Episodes 1-32 of the drama – and will be updated from time to time. Mild spoilers.

Synopsis: The series depicts the story of an unmarried pregnant woman (Oh Yeon Do/YD) and an unmarried man (Gong Tae Kyung/TK) who enter into a false contract which “leads them to romance, pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing”. But this move proves to be tricky because TK’s first love (Jang Se Jin/SJ) and YD’s now ex-boyfriend and father of her child, (Kim Joon Ha/JH), want to have a say in all this. “Will Cupid be able to sort out this tangled mess of romance?”

Episodes 1-10 were well-written and filmed well in advance to allow for large crowd scenes, outdoor locations and good introduction of all main characters and their family dynamics. There are three main families: Kang/Oh, Gong and Jang, all with the requisite parents, siblings, uncles, matriarch grandmother, etc. and features several couples in various stages of courtship or marriage. Kim Joon Has is the one main character with no family and viewers were told early on (in promotional video) that his family history would be a secret until the end of the drama.

Episodes 11-20 involved the growing connection between the Main Couple (TK/YD) as they negotiate their way through the early months of the contract marriage. They lied and deceived their families about their relationship, claiming that TK was the biological father of Baby “Real” and also lied about registering their marriage. Most episodes were standard k-drama fare: (1) TK/YD trying to maintain their two big secrets and (2) multiple arguments and fights both within and among the main families. There were also several ongoing stories of the other couples and their struggles with unwanted pregnancy and infertility. Episode 20 ended with TK’s declaration that he “liked” (cared for) YD.

Thus began what I call Chapter 3 (Episodes 21-30) - the developing “romance” between the Main Couple as they grew closer emotionally even though still planning to separate a few months before YD’s due date. Also in the mix was the attempted interference of the Second Main Couple (not romantic) as they attempt to split the Main Couple apart by revealing that TK was not the biological father. The other family arguments continued to a lesser extent as the families grudgingly accepted the presumed “married” couple and their presumed “biological” grandchild.

Which brings us to the “4th” chapter - I once predicted that during Episodes 31-40, the Main Couple would “slay all dragons” – that is, commit as a real couple, resolve all issues with their families and fight the 2nd Main Couple. This might still occur by Episode 40ish, but the plot took a 180 degree detour in Episodes 31/32 and as fast as you can say AB-RA-CA-DA-BRA, certain characters completely changed personalities. Previously kind/caring characters became monsters and monsters became caring.

My review thus far: characters that were interesting with interesting stories have been placed on the back-burner. Almost every scene/dialogue now revolves around TK, YD and Baby Real (birth name: Oh Haneul) who was born after YD lied to TK and disappeared for a year. This was the major detour mentioned above and many viewers think the show has gone off the rails at this point. So, that’s the status of the show – major whiplash with characters and story arcs. It’s a circular roller coaster with repetitive angst and trauma and it has lost its charm for me. I will continue watching when I have the time, but I no longer try to find the time to watch. Meanwhile – Episode 36 had its highest ratings in Korea so maybe the writers know what they are doing. Because, in the end, this drama is written by Koreans for a Korean audience and they get the final say on whether it is a success or not.

Review will be updated whenever I feel like it. At this point, I wonder if we will ever find out Kim Joon Ha’s family history before he is hit with a White Truck of Doom.

UPDATE 9/10/23 - after Episode 50:

At the end of what I call “Book # 4” (Episodes 41/42), we wonder to what alternate universe did the characters travel. Nothing happened in these episodes except Main Couple were apart and Main Couple reunited. No other story progressed, and no other characters evolved or changed.

By the end of the drama, the viewer realizes that there was one purpose for these episodes – stalling for time so that the writer(s) could completely re-write the end of the drama. When the drama began filming, the head writer said that 50% of the scripts were finalized. And it showed – the first 25-30 episodes were well done, the various families were intermixed in a variety of scenes and events, including accidental encounters that had meaning in later episodes. After that, it was clear that actors and directors were scrambling because of the rewrites. No more complex, meaningful scenes with a variety of characters. Entire stories were summarily dropped, never to be mentioned again. Location shoots were minimal – frequently taking place with a couple of characters in a coffee shop or driving in a car, walking into a building so that – the interior could be filmed at the studio. Episode 50 filming was completed 3-4 days before it aired.

In the end, almost all of the cast members appeared to be “phoning it in” because there was nothing new or unique in the dialogue or the stories. The exception? Kang Boo Ja (Grandmother) and Jung Eui Jae (Kim Joon Ha) each had scenes which required dialogue and emotion which were seen for the first time. For everyone else, there was nothing new.

Leia Mais

Chemistry

Great story and great actor's, the only thing that I cept disliking throughout the whole drama is the chemistry between the two Lead actors. The scenes they had separately ware great but when they got together they were more like brother and sister instead of lovers. I really couldn't get into the scene because of it. I cept hoping it would get better after they were acting with each other for a while, but it didn't get any better.

The rest of the cast was amazing I really could get into there scenes.

It is an amazing story, I finished watching it because the story was so well written.

I would love to watch it again when it's refilmed with other leading actors.

Leia Mais

Drearily dull drama

I gave a sigh of relief when finally Ep50 landed on our screen . No more of this family saga of cardboard characters with no backbones and with insipid smiles . I did not like it but wanted to see if it improved with the development of the story but it never did . It dragged on and on . There was no chemistry between the two main characters . Heavens know why they fell in love ! They stand apart and look at each other with languor , or sit side by side in their matching pyjamas pretending to be a couple ! Baek Jin Hee as Yeon-doo spends her time apologising right left and centre to everyone ! False humility becomes sickening . He , as Tae Kyung , lacks not only charisma , but clout and resolve to escape from the control of his family. Only the older characters as mothers and grandmother have a bit of fire in them . As to the villains of the play , they are so unlikable , you can't wait to see the back of them . A waste of time . Not re watchable .

Leia Mais

speechless

Several factors just made this drama a total shIt show! It would've been better if and I hate to say this
if the female lead role was casted with a different actress. Sorry but that mousy look and child like acting topped with the way they had the character dressing in every ep. The actress just wasn't the right fit for the role as harsh as that might sound. SMHD
Then there's the writing, I don't know what the purpose is in making the female lead not be a tolerable character. This drama had the bad people pretty much carry the show. The story overall was good enough its the casting and the way it was carried out that made this just bad and frankly soured my stomach. I stayed till the end because of the male lead. This is one of those dramas that I'd suggest to watch only if your at the bottom of a barrel and only if there's nothing left that your able to watch.

Leia Mais

Writer is misogynistic

I tried to hold myself from calling this writer as such, especially when he wrote one of the best sageuk "The Princess Man" and I am aware he might not has fully control over his writing. But I still need to say what I want.

This drama used most of female characters as his tools, and he wrote them as the most annoying and bad characters in the whole series. But he wrote the male lead as the most greenest character, other male characters while not perfect but not written in the worst ways.

Let's not forget how he made Inok as the "villain" in several ep 🤦 and suddenly resolved it in just simplest way lmao.

The lead actress hard carried this drama but the ones benefiting the most are both male leads - one is loved for playing the greenest character (viewers are easy to be pleased lol) and other one is hated for this role but he also became more popular. Both of them are truly "The Real Has Come".

Leia Mais

Wasted potential

I watched this drama completely and I still don't know how I didn't drop on the way. I think I had faith that the potential he had could still be exploited, but in vain.

The theme was really interesting and offered several issues to explore.

She was pregnant but looked like a normal woman, even though we were moving forward in time (I'm talking months). They did a time jump straight to birth (botched).

The drama started well but ended up revolving around something that could have been resolved more quickly and more logically (for me). Any other issues or plotlines presented at the beginning were completely thrown into the trash. Looks like the writer forgot.

Leia Mais