Jang Nara and Nam Ji-hyun butt heads as divorce attorney colleagues with very different ideals in this legal workplace drama. While I wouldn’t call it fresh or unique in terms of legal dramas, it was a solid premiere that hints at more interesting things to come from our leading ladies and their dynamic.
EPISODES 1-2
Going into this drama, I was most excited about seeing Jang Nara and Nam Ji-hyun together, and they do not disappoint. We get the expected jaded sunbae and idealistic hoobae dynamic, but thanks to our charismatic leading ladies, they feel like real people rather than just stereotypes.
CHA EUN-KYUNG (Jang Nara
It’s trial by fire for Yuri from day one. Her first client is PARK JONG-SHIK whose wife accused him of cheating and wants a divorce. He claims she’s always been excessively jealous, which his adult son corroborates, but he won’t agree to a divorce. Yuri believes him right away and is determined to get the divorce denied, which Eun-kyung scoffs at as naïve.
Naturally, Yuri is naïve as this is her first position out of law school. She’s not prepared when the plaintiff springs text messages corroborating the affair in court or for the vitriol she receives from the plaintiff and her family. She’s also not prepared for having to make ridiculous, obviously untrue arguments on behalf of clients to win a case.
While Eun-kyung disagrees with Yuri’s approach to the case, she doesn’t step in or override Yuri. One thing I like is that despite Eun-kyung being harsh, she’s not mean. She doesn’t deride Yuri or make her life difficult for no reason – she just has high expectations. But you get the idea Eun-kyung wants her hoobaes to succeed, even if few make the cut. She seems like the type who usually can’t be bothered to train a baby lawyer, but she could be a great mentor if she decided to be.
Yuri turns out to be a fast learner and thinks well on her feet, winning her first case and impressing Eun-kyung (not that she shows it). The trouble is Yuri isn’t sure she wants to be good at this. She feels like she’s ruining lives by defending cheaters and coldly focusing on earning money regardless of the people who are hurt. And she has some experience being on the other side: her father left her and her mother for his mistress.
Yuri’s idealism and lack of enthusiasm for the job worry her sunbaes who are tired of losing all their newbies, so young attorney JEON EUN-HO (Pyo Ji-hoon) works extra hard to befriend her. Meanwhile, attorney JUNG WOO-JIN (Kim Joon-han) – the only person not afraid of Eun-kyung – encourages her to go easy on the Yuri. And rightfully so because Yuri has already started typing up a resignation letter.
These first episodes focus a lot more on the cases and professional lives of the lawyers, only giving hints about their personal lives. Yuri is a straightforward character, so we quickly get to know her. But Eun-kyung is so professional, it’s difficult to get a sense for who she is outside of work. We do learn she’s married and has a daughter, but we only get a couple of glimpses of the family. However, a major reveal throws Eun-kyung’s home life into question.
One night, Yuri stays late at work and spies Eun-kyung’s husband KIM JI-SANG (Ji Seung-hyun) in flagrante with Eun-kyung’s legal assistant. Ji-sang is a doctor, but he serves as a consultant for Daejeong when needed, so he’s regularly at the office (and clearly offering a plethora of services.)
Yuri spends the next few days tormented, unsure whether to tell her scary new boss that her husband is cheating on her. Things get worse when she and Eun-kyung work a joint case together representing two friends whose spouses are cheating with each other.
Their very opposite opinions and approaches to the case reveal a lot about both Yuri and Eun-kyung. It’s clear that Yuri can’t yet separate her personal ideals from her work, and she makes a lot of value judgements which she tries to push onto her clients. While her intent is good, she’s a touch self-righteous and struggles to accept clients’ decisions when they differ from her own.
Conversely, Eun-kyung is calculating and (perhaps overly) practical, understanding that you can’t take a situation or person’s word at face value. Just because one parent is granted custody at a hearing doesn’t mean that the situation can’t change down the line. There’s no single right answer in a divorce – it’s the client’s wishes, not the lawyer’s, that matters in the end. Her goal is to get the best outcome for her client within their parameters.
We end the first week with Yuri finally working up her courage and revealing to Eun-kyung that her husband is having an affair. “And?” Eun-kyung asks as blasé as if Yuri just told her it’s going to rain tomorrow. Yuri gets her second shock: Eun-kyung already knows about the affair, including that her assistant is the mistress.
I had a feeling Eun-kyung already knew. She’s too sharp and attuned to behavior to miss the signs. The question is whether she’s choosing to ignore it for reasons or if she’s waiting to get solid evidence like she encourages her clients to do. Eun-kyung’s stoicism could easily feel stiff, but Jang Nara’s charm shines through enough to make me want to know more about her. I’m curious about her motivations, home life, and what kind of mother she is.
Cheating was the name of the game this week, which is no surprise in a show about divorce. However, that’s not the only reason two people get divorced, and I hope we get to explore other facets of marital strife and relationship dynamics. I’m not sure how many iterations of cheating it’ll take before the cases feel stale. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.