MBN Wednesday-Thursday miniseries 'First Lady' escalated into a divorce war between Yoo Jin and Hyun Chul, and Yoo Jin was shocked by a school violence video of her daughter Park Seo-kyung, heightening tension with a "desperate, ruinous crisis ending."
The March 1 (Wed) broadcast of MBN Wednesday-Thursday miniseries 'First Lady' (written by Kim Hyung-wan, directed by Lee Ho-hyun, produced by Studio Gidam Co., Ltd., Artist Studio Co., Ltd., Roadshow Plus Co., Ltd.) episode 3 recorded a nationwide rating of 1.9% according to Nielsen Korea, with a peak minute rating of 2.1%.
First, Cha Soo-yeon (played by Yoo Jin), who had been in a car accident with her daughter Hyun Ji-yu (played by Park Seo-kyung), was bleeding unconscious, but reporters surrounded the car and carried out excessive coverage without concern. At that moment, a shocking scene was shown in which Cha Soo-yeon, as a child, was mercilessly bombarded by reporters' flash photography after being labeled as Cha Jin-taek's (played by Jeon No-min) illegitimate child while at her mother's house.
At the same time, Hyun Min-chul (played by Ji Hyun-woo) showed anxiety by continuously calling and texting his daughter, who had been in the car accident, despite Shin Hae-rin's (played by Lee Min-young) report overflowing with political developments such as President Yoo's (played by Lee Jong-hyuk) meeting delays and contact with candidate Bae Young-sun (played by Son Ji-na). Then Cha Soo-yeon, with a bandage on her forehead suggesting the severity of the accident, boldly went to see Hyun Min-chul and pulled out divorce papers, but contrary to the gesture she appealed, "Please just drop the divorce lawsuit," drawing attention. However, Hyun Min-chul refused, saying, "As long as the two of us are together, I'll make you the problem," and Cha Soo-yeon finally left, saying, "You don't deserve to call Ji-yu by name."
When Shin Hae-rin followed Cha Soo-yeon into the elevator, Cha Soo-yeon criticized the show Shin Hae-rin put on, asking, "Why did the clothes I sent to the dormitory come here?" But Shin Hae-rin, pointing out that Cha Soo-yeon, who always stood up proudly, had been fleeing from reporters, retorted bluntly, "She learned it from the boss," which enraged Cha Soo-yeon. Shin Hae-rin also snapped at Cha Soo-yeon, "Do you think you can take me down with this little media play?" and said, "If you fall for just this, it would be too weak," further infuriating Cha Soo-yeon.
Alone in turmoil, Cha Soo-yeon contacted reporter Son Min-joo (played by Shin So-yul) late at night and proposed an exclusive live interview. Standing before the camera, Cha Soo-yeon showed tears, saying she did not know the reason for the divorce, evoking sympathy. But Son Min-joo, contrary to prior agreement, asked whether a large political donation from H Group chairman Yang had been funneled to Hyun Min-chul through Cha Soo-yeon, embarrassing her, and during the interview breaking news reported that Hyun Min-chul had filed a criminal complaint against his wife Cha Soo-yeon for illegal wiretapping, shocking Cha Soo-yeon. In particular, in a shocking live broadcast where a listening device found inside a fountain pen and tumbler was shown as evidence, Cha Soo-yeon hesitated for a long time when Son Min-joo asked whether she had eavesdropped, then admitted, "I didn't monitor my husband. It was to protect the politician Hyun Min-chul," while asserting the legitimacy of being Hyun Min-chul's "political partner," causing an uproar. At the end of the broadcast Cha Soo-yeon appealed, "I trust your wise judgment," but negative public opinion surged.
Meanwhile, Hyun Min-chul expressed devastation as criticism toward Cha Soo-yeon poured in, and he recalled when Shin Hae-rin had brought the listening devices found in the fountain pen and tumbler. Showing the device, Hyun Min-chul coldly pressed Shin Hae-rin, "Since when did you know?" after she said, "It's all covered by violations such as the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection," and warned, "I think you're mistaken; I'm divorcing for Ji-yu's mother. Stop it here," forbidding further attacks on Cha Soo-yeon. In particular, after hearing from Shin Hae-rin that the investigation into illegal succession by President Yoo's Chairman Yang had started, he said, "The target will be me anyway. Not Ji-yu's mother. I can't stand seeing that person put on the photo line," revealing he decided to divorce to prevent Cha Soo-yeon from being politically targeted and torn apart.
But as even Cha Soo-yeon's fan club "Iron Lady" members turned their backs and her standing fell into ruin, Cha Soo-yeon barely made it into her house after breaking through the chaotic throng of reporters camped in front of her home, suffering severe vomiting and agony. After repeatedly refusing food and drink, she confronted the apparition of her mother in the mirror, who had suffered as Cha Jin-cheol's mistress and died tragically, and cried out, "I won't die like my mother," awakening with desperate tears, evoking sympathy.
Afterward Cha Soo-yeon went to a law firm to request representation for the divorce lawsuit, but she was frustrated when all rejected her because the president-elect's camp had intervened in advance. In particular, after the lawyer Hwang Nu-ri (played by Jung Min-ji), who had empowered her, turned her down and took Hyun Min-chul's side, and after watching Hyun Min-chul's press conference saying, "I promise there will never be a national governance gap due to my family affairs," Cha Soo-yeon showed despair. Ultimately Cha Soo-yeon lamented, "I have nowhere to go, no lawyer," expressing anguish. In the final scene, after receiving a call from Hyun Ji-yu's homeroom teacher and going to the school, Cha Soo-yeon watched a school violence video of her daughter Hyun Ji-yu violently assaulting a classmate, and with uncontrollably trembling eyes the episode ended with a "desperate, ruinous crisis ending," foreshadowing shocking turmoil ahead.
Viewers reacted, saying, "The political situation and the family's secrets and conflicts are so, so realistic! I can't get out of the drama!", "Cha Soo-yeon must have had trauma since childhood and obsessed over being first lady! Today I feel like comforting Soo-yeon! Yoo Jin's acting gives me chills!", "The president-elect's divorce and the daughter's school violence are exactly like reality, so it's so interesting! I'm just watching with my eyes open and completely absorbed," among other responses.
Meanwhile, episode 4 of MBN Wednesday-Thursday miniseries 'First Lady' will air on the 2nd (Thu) at 10:20 p.m.
[Photo] Broadcast capture
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