In 'More Beautiful than Heaven', Son Seok-koo discovers the identity of the 'Shirt Man'.
In the JTBC weekend drama 'More Beautiful than Heaven' (written by Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Soo-jin, directed by Kim Seok-yoon), which aired on the 12th, the scene depicted the couple Lee Hae-sook (played by Kim Hye-ja) and Go Nak-jun (played by Son Seok-koo) seeing off Lee Hae-sook's mother-in-law Park Jong-gwi (played by Joo Min-kyung) on her path to reincarnation.
It was revealed that the elderly man in a Hawaiian shirt, who hinted at a bad relationship with Somi (played by Han Ji-min), is actually a former detective named Kang Jeong-gu (played by Jeong Jin-gak), suggesting that he is also intertwined with Go Nak-jun in a significant way, raising curiosity. The viewership rating for episode 8 recorded a nationwide 6.9% and 7.6% in the metropolitan area (Nielsen Korea, based on paid households), marking its highest rating yet.
After a quarrel with her husband over her mother-in-law, Lee Hae-sook felt hurt and sad due to Go Nak-jun's cold reaction. She confided her troubled feelings to a pastor (played by Ryu Deok-hwan), and a commotion ensued when she got drunk while making alcohol bread at church and was taken in for loud behavior. Fortunately, Go Nak-jun found Lee Hae-sook, who was brought to the support center's security team, and the two returned home together.
Lee Hae-sook, who had never seen Go Nak-jun drink in his life, asked him, "How did you endure those years without alcohol and while living as a day laborer?" recalling the humiliation she experienced and the sorrow she felt living with her mother-in-law. Go Nak-jun felt a renewed sense of guilt and sympathy for Lee Hae-sook.
Lee Hae-sook also vowed to change. However, she learned from her husband that her mother-in-law had left after saying they would no longer see each other. With an anxious heart, Lee Hae-sook went to the heavenly house where her mother-in-law lived alone. Although she had already passed away, it seemed she was organizing her household items as if preparing for death. She had applied for reincarnation without her son and daughter-in-law's knowledge. Go Nak-jun was worried that his mother had decided to reincarnate without consulting him.
However, the comfort from his wife that this choice could make his mother happier and the explanation from the center head (played by Cheon Ho-jin) that life continues to repeat itself moved his heart. The mother-in-law expressed her unspoken feelings to her son and daughter-in-law, bidding farewell with sadness but calmness.
Meanwhile, Somi was increasingly curious about who that elderly man was that kept awakening her anger and why she had choked him. She even felt a fear that she might be a bad person. Go Nak-jun also accumulated questions about Somi's identity.
Just as Somi felt inexplicable anger and hatred towards the 'Shirt Man', she felt sadness and shed tears the moment she touched a baby she encountered by chance. Above all, she still couldn't understand why she had held onto him on the train to the afterlife when they first met. However, she set aside her complicated thoughts, wondering, "I don't know yet, but maybe, like Somi's unknown feelings, there was a reason for me too..."
This episode heightened the immersion with its continuous twists. Somi, who prayed with a sad look in the first scene, saying, "Can any sin be forgiven if I really pray? I think I might have sinned," began to harbor feelings for Go Nak-jun. Following her unexpected confession, "I think I've started to like someone I shouldn't like," the focus shifted to Lee Hae-sook discovering the flower rings that the two had shared.
In particular, the final scene depicted the meeting between Go Nak-jun and the 'Shirt Man', drawing attention. The elderly man, who could not sense Somi's presence, thanked Go Nak-jun for saving him in an emergency. Upon hearing the name 'Kang Jeong-gu' from him, who was boasting about his past glories and his time as a strong detective in his youth, Go Nak-jun recalled memories from the past in shock and confusion, leading the viewers' curiosity to its peak.
JTBC's weekend drama 'More Beautiful than Heaven' airs every Saturday at 10:40 PM and Sunday at 10:30 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
