‘Thirty-Nine’ Episode 1 Highlights Son Ye Jin’s Past, Jeon Mi Do’s Complicated Love Affair + Kicks Off to a Promising Start
"Thirty-Nine" is the newest slice-of-life Kdrama featuring three remarkable characters portrayed by Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do and Kim Ji Hyun.
The JTBC series highlights the realistic representation of women facing another milestone in their life as they welcome the big 4-0.
'Thirty-Nine' Viewership Rating
The rom-com series premiered to a promising start.
According to Nielsen Korea, the "Thirty-Nine" pilot episode garnered a recorded nationwide average of 4.5 percent, a smooth start for Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do and Kim Ji Hyun's Kdrama.
It is safe to say that with the cast lineup, feel-good and realistic plot, figures will surely increase, hitting a high personal best viewership rating.
'Thirty-Nine' Episode 1 Recap: Cha Mi Jo Announces her Sabbatical
The JTBC series began with a puzzling scene after it featured a wake for a loved one, hinting that someone unexpectedly said goodbye.
The next scene jumps to the three best friends, Cha Mi Jo, Jung Chan Young and Jang Joo Hee, living their best life at 39.
READ MORE: 'Thirty-Nine' Press Conference: Son Ye Jin 'Nervous' for Her Kdrama Comeback
They realized how things have changed; from tteokbokki and drinking coke, now they are chugging soju and paying for their own bills instead of their parents.
"Thirty-Nine" episode 1 introduced the main character's background, starting with Cha Mi Jo (Son Ye JIn) a head dermatologist.
In the Kdrama, she mentioned that she was adopted from an orphanage but was thankful for her parents, especially her sister, who loves her dearly.
She dropped the bombshell news to her sister, announcing her sabbatical in the U.S.
The slice-of-life Kdrama showed the other side of Mi Jo; although she might be straightforward, especially to her friends, he has a warm heart for orphans at the Onnuri Child Care Center, where she grew up and called it her home.
Interestingly, this is where she met Kim Seon Woo (Yeon Woo Jin), the orphanage's new English teacher.
It seems that the universe conspired to bring the two together after the two met at a piano concerto. After a few drinks, the two learned more about each other and learned about their similarities, bringing them closer to one another.
Jung Chan Young's Complicated Relationship
Another highlight of the Kdrama is Jung Chan Young's (Jeon Mi Do) complex love affair with Kim Jin Seok (Lee Moo Saeng), Mi Jo's former classmate.
The dermatologist often berates Chan Young about her relationship with Jin Seok, telling her to end things with him, and that is because he is already married.
Actor Lee Moo Saeng
However, Chan Young still clings to their past and points out that he loved her first.
In the latter part of the series, Jung Chan Young asks him if he will get a divorce, adding that she is willing to wait even if it will take Jin Seok 20 years; however, his facial expression tells otherwise.
"I don't think you'll ever get divorced," she said, noting that she wanted to end things with him.
Cha Mi Jo's Surprising Discovery
As "Thirty-Nine" wraps up episode 1, Cha Mi Jo was stunned to discover that the new director that will replace her in the meantime will be Kim Seon Woo, which means her budding romance might be put on hold because of her sabbatical.
The pilot episode featured a new beginning for someone and closure for others.
