‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ depicted a poignant eye contact ending, with ratings slightly increasing.
In episode 5 of tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama ‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ (directed by Kim Yong Wan, written by Yang Ji Hoon, planned by CJ ENM, produced by Studio Dragon, Dexter Pictures, and Eo Content Group), Park Seong Ah (played by Joy Hyun) lost the effectiveness of the human talisman. The human talisman's power disappeared because Baek Gyeon Woo (played by Choo Young Woo) no longer believed in Park Seong Ah.
Park Seong Ah wept in the rain, feeling like the abandoned lip balm was a reflection of her own denied existence. The ending where Baek Gyeon Woo covers her with an umbrella added to the poignancy.
The ratings also saw a slight increase with the umbrella ending of Park Seong Ah and Baek Gyeon Woo. Episode 5 recorded an average rating of 3.8% and a peak of 5.1% based on households in the metropolitan area, and an average of 3.7% and a peak of 4.8% nationwide, continuing to receive positive responses. (Based on Nielsen Korea's paid households)
Without giving a chance to be happy, misfortune struck, and Baek Gyeon Woo resented his fate. The fact that the ‘Park Seong Ah’ he cared for was a shaman was a significant wound for Baek Gyeon Woo. “Why are you doing this to me? How much more do I have to suffer for you to stop?” he cried sorrowfully as Park Seong Ah appeared before him.
Park Seong Ah gathered her courage to explain herself to the wounded Baek Gyeon Woo. However, Baek Gyeon Woo denied her, saying, “How many of the things you’ve said to me until now are not lies?” Park Seong Ah's heart crumbled at Baek Gyeon Woo's cold words, which showed he no longer believed in her.
Baek Gyeon Woo closed his heart again and pushed Park Seong Ah away. Despite Baek Gyeon Woo's cold reaction, Park Seong Ah did not give up on saving him. If she could endure for just five more days, she could return to her ordinary life. Her heartfelt plea to Baek Gyeon Woo, who rejected her, to be friends for just five more days was incredibly poignant. However, the crisis continued. She had lost the effectiveness of the human talisman.
The pages of the book that could not calm the crying baby spirit fell upon them, and Park Seong Ah's attempts at physical contact were in vain. Even in the moment she lost consciousness, Baek Gyeon Woo's attempt to protect her caused Park Seong Ah even more anguish.
Park Seong Ah contemplated other ways to save Baek Gyeon Woo that did not involve the human talisman. Pyo Ji Ho volunteered to be the human talisman for the distressed Park Seong Ah. His words, “If Baek Gyeon Woo dies like this, I would feel so wronged that I couldn't live,” contained his genuine wish for Park Seong Ah not to be hurt.
At the same time, Park Seong Ah found a way to soothe the baby spirit. She discovered a doll connected to the baby spirit with a red thread at Gu Do Yeon's house and, after persuading her, handed it to the newlywed who had been searching for her deceased baby. The baby spirit, who could not leave this world due to missing her mother's embrace, finally stopped crying and smiled.
Meanwhile, Park Seong Ah faced her discarded ‘lip balm’ in a trash bag in front of Baek Gyeon Woo's house. Overwhelmed by a deep sadness of being denied existence, she wept in the rain. “Even if I’m not a friend, even if it’s a lie, even if it’s fake, if my heart hurts this much, isn’t this one thing real?” Park Seong Ah's inner thoughts were both poignant and heartbreaking. At that moment, the rain that had been falling over her head stopped.
Where Park Seong Ah's gaze landed, Baek Gyeon Woo stood holding an umbrella. His face was complicated as he stood there with wet shoulders, having given the umbrella to Park Seong Ah. The ending where Park Seong Ah and Baek Gyeon Woo faced each other under the umbrella left a heavy feeling and raised curiosity about the direction of their fate.
Episode 6 of ‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ will air today at 8:50 PM.
[Kim Mi Ji, Star Today Reporter]
