Arrgh! In Cheese, the production team conjures up a dark, fascinating antihero in the character of Jung, and then spends the second half of the show running from its own creation. It’s as if they have no idea what to do with the monster they’ve made, especially as embodied in Park Hae Jin’s riveting performance. The norms of romantic comedy crash headlong into the uncomfortable reality of a male lead who can’t be whitewashed into a perfect life partner, sending the show on a desperate hunt for an alternative. Unfortunately, their attempts to turn audience sympathy elsewhere (hey, perhaps a scruffy but lovable second lead will do the trick!) feel forced and underhanded. Instead of letting their heroine tease out the risks and benefits of her problematic relationship on her own, they take away her agency, refusing to allow her to make choices that might lead into disturbing territory. It’s a grave injustice to Kim Go-Eun’s lovely acting work and to the character of Seol, and it completely undermines the central premise of the drama as the story of a shy young woman’s empowerment. It also squanders everything that is unique about the show’s set up in the first place. Because why take the road less traveled if all you’re going to do is literally or metaphorically throw your leads under the bus at the end?