'Heard It Through The Grapevine' And 'Hwajung' Are Tied For First Place

This week, two dramas were tied for first place in the ratings. One is a drama about politics in the palace and the other is a drama about the politics that divide a palatial home. The dramas "Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Hwajung" both achieved ratings of 10.1 percent

These dramas have traded places a few times during the last weeks because they were so close in percentage points that the slightest fluctuations upset the order. This week those fluctuations resulted in a first place tie.

On May 12, "Heard It Through The Grapevine" lost only 0.5 percent and "Hwajung gained only 0.6 percent to achieve that tie.

The plots of both dramas saw some dramatic action this week.

The 50-episode historical drama "Hwajung" has now set the stage for a confrontation between Prince Gwanghae and his banished sister Princess Jungmyeong. After escaping an assassination plot and living as a slave in the mines of Japan, the princess has made contact with a Korean envoy and sees a way to return to Korea. The princess, played as an adult by Lee Ji Yeon, does not know that the envoy is none other than her childhood champion and protector Hong Joo Won. Since she is disguised as a boy he does not recognize her. She has vowed to revenge her younger brother, killed by Gwanghae. She's just not sure how she is going to accomplish that.

In "Heard It Through The Grapevine," there is also banishment and perceived betrayal. The parents, played to full comic effect by Yu Jun Sang and Yoo Ho Jung, asked their son's wife, played by Go Ah Sung to move out of the house. The couple feels that they can no longer control their household staff, now on strike, nor their children. They blame their daughter-in-law for inciting rebellion. Yu Jun Sang's character will soon learn that his legal empire is also in danger. His behavior in the past has made him a lot of enemies. His previous behavior is more to blame for his undoing than any influence by Go Ah Seung's character.

"Who Are You - School 2015" was in third place yet again, although the ratings did rise from 5.0 to 6.0 percent. It's a well-written teen drama about bullying, which offers multiple perspectives on who bullies and why, as well as how students become a victim of bullying. The drama stars Kim So Hyun as a poor girl pretending to be her popular twin sister. There are plenty of plot twists to keep the scenes from being cliché, but this drama had the misfortune to be up against two strong contenders.