Lee Boo Jeong is a 40 year old ghost writer in a failing marriage who has recently lost her job.  Her life feels overwhelming and frustrating.  When she has a random encounter with a handsome young male “stand-in” who lives down the hall from her father, she is curiously drawn to him even though they seem to have nothing at all in common.  As fate continues to bring them together, they become closer and through conversation and sharing their hopes and fears, they find out that they are really not so different after all.  They also learn that it’s never too late to rediscover hope and learn to live again.

Ryu Joon Yeol as Lee Kang Jae

Lee Kang Jae has his own business as a “stand-in”.  From posing as a boyfriend to turning in someone’s resignation letter, he assumes the role for whatever he is paid to do.  A chance encounter with his neighbor’s daughter on a public bus leads to an unusual friendship.  Their relationship becomes complicated when an old friend of Kang Jae’s offers him a job digging up dirt on Boo Jeong.  But the more Kang Jae gets to know her, the more he is drawn to her.

Lee Kang Jae has made a choice to value money over anything else in life.  His business is thriving and he has rich women showering him with expensive gifts, but he still feels empty and unfullfilled.  When he meets Boo Jeong, he sees her as a soulmate.  She is someone who understands him without judging the choices he has made.  After 5 years, Ryu Joon Yeol is back on the small screen and it was definitely worth the wait.  He is fantastic in this role and I loved his transparent portrayal of the character.  His scenes with Jeon Do Yeon were heartfelt and moving.

Park In Hwan as Lee Chang Sook

Lee Chang Sook is Boo Jeong’s aging father.  He lives alone and is beginning to show signs of dementia.  He makes money gathering cardboard off the streets to sell to recyclers.  Even though Boo Jeong helps support him financially, he enjoys working because it makes him feel useful and productive.  

♥ Cinematography

This drama felt like a 16 episode indie film, and I loved it for it.  The hushed narration, emotional music, and dark lighting created a moody vibe that fit the story perfectly.  This series was all about setting the proper tone and letting the audience become immersed in it.  

♥ Characters and Cast

A drama that relies so heavily on dialogue and narration depends on well-written characters and talented actors to pull it off.  Luckily, this series has that in spades.  It was a breath of fresh air to have characters who seemed so real and the actors made you understand and empathize with them in a wonderful way.  I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed getting to know and be inspired by them.  

Woo Nam’s Ex

Woo Nam’s whole story is a little strange.  He just lives with Lee Soon Kyu and expects her to wait on him with no real commitment.  But the scene of his ex-wife coming over to hang out, watch tv, break a dish, and then just leave was really weird.  It seems like she is having some difficulty accepting the divorce and I get that.  But still.  Most ex-wife’s don’t come to their ex-husbands’ girlfriend’s house unannounced, just to visit.  

Lee Kyung Eun’s husband

Lee Kyung Eun’s husband was a beautifully written character.  I loved the empathy he showed when he cried for a fellow patient, even though he was obviously suffering so much himself.  But I would have expected a sympathetic character like that to want his wife to live the rest of her life to it’s fullest.  So leaving Kyung Eun with no answer, to feel guilt for trying to find love again seemed out of character to me.  

A drama as raw and real as “Lost” would seem insincere if they gave us a neat, tidy ending with lots of perfectly tied bows.  Instead, what we get are glimmers of hope that our characters are finally on the road to happiness.  But first we have the sad death of Chang Sook.  I hate painful goodbyes, but in this case it really fit the context of the drama.  His death leads Boo Jeong and Jung Soo to finally have a real conversation about their relationship, and they realize that while they still love each other very much, they are no longer in love.  After their talk, Boo Jeong deletes all the photos and contact information for Kang Jae.  Woo Nam moves out of Soon Kyu’s house, not so they can break up, but so he can actually start dating her properly.  Min Jung makes a vague confession about wanting to make her relationship with Sun Joo official, which is enough to put a silly grin on his face.  Then a small time jump shows Min Jung working at a coffee shop where Kang Jae and Sun Joo come to visit.  She and Kang Jae have a funny exchange that shows a lighter, more playful side to Kang Jae.  Min Jung flirts with Sun Joo while exchanging payment, showing that they are indeed dating and doing well together.  As Kang Jae leaves the store, he gets a text about a star gazing event coming up in Seoul.  Next we see a confident and professional Boo Jeong meeting her old co-worker to get some free-lance work.  Noticeably missing is her wedding ring.  Her co-worker tells her that Jung Ah Ran has finally divorced that jerk and has come clean about her son in Canada.  As she catches a bus home, Boo Jeong sees a poster about the star-gazing event.  In the final scene, we see Kang Jae take a seat in the auditorium to watch the stars.  As he glances across the aisle, his eyes meet Boo Jeong’s.  They both smile and neither can look away, although neither of them seem at all surprised.  The rest is up to you, but I believe that they have a bright future together.