#Miss Night and Day Drama Review

[dramascoop]

Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 9 & 10 Review | The Drama Scoop

In episodes 9 and 10 of Miss Night and Day, Ji-ung, Byung-duk, and Lim-sun can be seen suspecting Baek Chul-kyu and gathering evidence against him. This weekend’s episodes also feature Mi-jin and Ji-ung misunderstanding each other. Meanwhile, Ko-won expresses his feelings for Mi-jin. Our article “Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 9 & 10 Review” contains major spoilers.

In the closing credits of episode 10, Ji-ung takes a leave from work after falling sick. Mi-jin pays him a visit at his home, and he asks her to stay. We also see Lim-sun with a tape on her mouth, implying that she may have been abducted by Baek Chul-kyu.

Furthermore, it seems like Ko-won plays a more important role in the drama. The fact that he readily accepted Lim-sun’s transformation into Mi-jin raises suspicions. We might be going overboard here, but he could be the actual serial killer, and Baek Chul-kyu could be working for him.

Highlights Of Episode 9

Mi-jin leans in for a kiss, but Ji-ung blocks it with his hand, assuming she is about to bump her head against his.

Mi-jin runs into Ji-ung at the supermarket while shopping with Ga-young after leaving Ji-ung’s house.

The next day, Mi-jin, who has transformed into Lim-sun, finds it difficult to work alongside Ji-ung.

After further investigating the missing persons case, Ji-ung suspects the dead body is in the reservoir. Just as he expected, the victim’s body is discovered peeking out of the reservoir.

Since Fentanyl was discovered in Baek Chul-kyu’s late wife’s system as well, Lim-sun, Ji-ung, and Byung-duk have grown increasingly suspicious of him as the serial killer.

Lim-sun, Ji-ung, and Byung-duk conduct an operation to gather evidence against Baek Chul-kyu.

Baek Chul-kyu appears as Lim-sun searches his office for evidence. As a result, she hides in his closet.

Highlights Of Episode 10

While carrying out the operation, Lim-sun picks up Baek Chul-kyu’s razor and overhears him talking about her aunt and her blood type.

On the other hand, Ji-ung discovers a suspicious medicine, and Byung-duk locates and photographs fentanyl in the pharmacy.

Lim-sun and Ko-won look for the strange cat together. While Mi-jin is away, Ko-won answers her phone, which upsets Ji-ung who’s on the other end of the call.

Byung-duk learns that the drugs are moved to Obongsan Mountain. Following this, Ji-ung, Byung-duk, and Lim-sun go there and find the drugs that had been buried.

Byung-duk and Ko-won drink together. When Ji-ung goes to pick Byung-duk, Ko-won confesses his feelings for Mi-jin.

Lim-sun goes on to confirm that the drugs found at the medical center are identical to those found buried on the mountain.

Following this, Ji-ung instructs Byung-duk to obtain a warrant.

Ji-ung pays a visit to Mi-jin, but they continue to misunderstand each other.

After Ji-ung leaves, Ko-won visits Mi-jin and confesses his feelings for her. While this is going on, Ji-ung returns to speak with Mi-jin and finds the two of them together.

Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 9 & 10 Review

Positives

Episodes 9 and 10 of Miss Night and Day raised the stakes of the drama and essentially served as the show’s crescendo. The show’s tension has increased significantly in both the serial killer and love triangle storylines.

This nail-biting tension of the kdrama has us on the edge of our seats, wondering if Baek Chul-kyu is the serial killer and if the trio can find evidence against him before he gets his hands on Lim-sun. Furthermore, the will they/won’t they situation between Mi-jin and Ji-ung is exciting, and their chemistry is palpable.

Negatives

While the kdrama has many elements that work well for the show, it does have flaws. For instance, the romantic storyline involving Mi-jin and Ji-ung is painfully slow, and the show barely focuses on them, leaving viewers frustrated.

Miss Night And Day Episodes 9 & 10: Our Verdict

Overall, episodes 9 and 10 of Miss Night and Day were engaging, entertaining, and thrilling. While the show excels at comedic timing and keeping us interested in the love triangle, the romantic storyline appears to be paced very slowly, making it feel dragged and overlooked in favor of the crime storyline.

Do you agree with the views and predictions in our article “Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 9 & 10 Review”? Let us know in the comments below.

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[daebakreviews]

Miss Night and Day

After becoming a potential witness to a murder, a girl who changes to an old woman during the day must catch the murderer while also keeping her secret.

Lee Min-Jin has spent most of her 20s studying to become a public servant. After a night of drinking, she discovers that she turns into an old woman during the day and back into her younger self after the sun sets. During the day she works as an office assistant to  Gye Ji-Ung, a prosecutor who is determined to find out what happened to his mother.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Miss Night and Day. A first it seemed like a strange concept and I wasn't sure how well they would do keeping it straight. But after just a few episodes I was hooked. I was waiting, rather impatiently, for the next episodes.

I loved the chemistry between Lee Min-JIn, played by Jung Eun-Ji, and Choi Jin-Hyuk as Gye Ji-Ung. I just kept waiting for them to finally say something to each other and when they did, it was perfect.

Lee Jung-Eun as Lim Sun, or Lee MIn-Jin's older self was also amazing. She did a fantastic job playing a young girl trapped in an older woman's body. She was funny and really stole the show.

I've seen a lot of shows recently where the show is so amazing until the last episode and the ending falls short. This is not one of those shows. I loved the ending and it was the perfect way to end all of their stories.

Aside from the romance, the story of the disappearances and the murder was also great. It kept you on your toes and when you finally piece it all together it's exciting. I do wish more was done with the character of Ko Won, played by Baek Seo-Hoo. He deserved more.

Miss Night and Day is on @netflix and I highly recommend watching it.

[anotherfanaccount]

Some genuinely good kdramas this year. I have so many left to watch but amongst the ones I did finish here's a review no one asked for.

MARRY MY HUSBAND.....great acting good pacing the thriller aspect done right and a cute ending

DOCTOR SLUMP.......love love lived it. It was funny and heartwarming and the thriller part didn't annoy me. Cutest grownups. A warm cozy drama for your lonely days.

LOVELY RUNNER.....10/10. They really ate with the storyline and the actors and everything. Had me waiting for the episodes and in a hangover for a month.

QUEEN OF TEARS......had me frustrated as hell. But I did enjoy it till the end. A rare drama where the ending is really far better than the whole of the drama. The actors saved this wreck of a story honestly.

THE JUDGE FROM HELL.....10/10. Loved everything. Psh as the demon judge perfect. Kjy as Han Da On perfect. Them serving enemies to lovers perfect. Her killing those ruthless criminals perfect. Would love a sequel and spinoffs whenever they decide to do it.

BREWING LOVE.....cute cute cute. Shipped the mls so hard actually. The cutest one of this year for me.

KNIGHT FLOWER.....discovered ljw here actually. And a genuinely underrated drama. It's funny actually is deep and has a satisfying narrative. Would love a sequel here too.

MR. PLANKTON.......you will laugh so hard and then you'll cry so hard. A lovely drama but I ain't watching it again.

Romance in the house.....have a couple episodes left but this is a good one too. Middle aged romance plus young love. Fun stuff overall.

Atypical Family....super interesting and dope actors. Leaves you sorta hanging but hopeful.

Miss Night and Day......Really really loved the three main leads. And it had a fascinating premise. Fun one.

And WHEN THE PHONE RINGS....Topping the drama lists this late comer. But we'll be ending this in the next year. So more about this next year.

[pseudowho]

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Thinking about being Higuruma Hiromi's workplace bestie.

Thinking about showing up to the office for work one morning, and seeing Hiromi's not there. Automatically, you know your day is going to be long, tedious, dull. Maybe you'll actually get some work done for once.

Still, you'll miss making faces at each other at the meeting which could have been an email. You'll miss his sardonic, snippy responses to courtroom drama. You'll miss the way he calls his wastepaper bin his 'suggestions box'. You'll miss the way he sits, legs crossed on your desk, jiggling his foot constantly as you review case files together.

"Husband not in, huh?" Your colleague teases gently, and you roll your eyes, calling back over your shoulder; "Bestie, not husband!"

You sigh, walking to the office kitchen; his turn to make coffee today, but it's now just coffee for one, sadly--

"No no no, out you go, my turn to make coffee today, you--"

"Hiromi!" You squeal, visibly wiggling with delight, and Hiromi turns around with the coffee pot in his hands, briefly joining in with your happy dance, wiggling too.

"I thought you weren't in, I was ready for such a boring day!" You state, dramatic, giving his upper arm an affectionate squeeze. Hiromi tuts, "As if I'd just leave you to the wolves like that," stirring your pair of office mugs ("Mr" and "Mrs", only semi-ironically gifted to you from your Secret Santa last year).

The rest of the morning is lost in bright colours, in-jokes, corny jokes, office gossip ("You know I don't do gossip," Hiromi chides, black brows furrowed, turning his back on you momentarily...before spinning back round, leaning in and whispering, "Just pulling your leg-- tell me everything, in excruciating detail."), and getting your work done at ruthlessly efficient speeds, so in-tune are you with each other.

The endless days and weeks of being too busy to talk properly, leaving each other goofy post-in notes in files, on desks, on coffee mugs, and gradually more eccentric places-- the inside bottom of his wastepaper bin, under the printer lid, Hiromi somehow manages to sneak one onto the bottom of your shoe.

Hiromi loses almost all of his cases-- you are used to consoling him through this. Every loss wounds him. But why do they start to wound you, too? Before you can think on it too deeply, Hiromi bangs into your office one day, and you gasp, slopping coffee over your paperwork. You look up, about to curse at him--

"...you didn't," you challenge, joy blooming on Hiromi's face, and you realise, jumping up with a cheer and a clap, "You did? Oh, you won, you clever thing you, oh Hiromi!"

Hiromi fizzes like sherbet for the rest of the day, his melancholy blown away by your celebration of him. His favourite work-person-bestie-wife. He could chat with you like this all night, if only you'd let him.

Days without each other become woefully empty. The colours wash out of the walls. You barely laugh. You go home without a sense of achievement, but with the sense of a day wasted in solitude and loneliness. All of your other colleagues notice, eyebrows raised, knowing sideways glances...but you and Hiromi do not. Just work besties.

You give each other affectionate jostles goodbye when you pass each other in the corridor, folders in arms, sometimes transferring them to each other, before jostling again; "love you, byeee" (ironically, of course), as you skip and he lopes away down the corridor.

Except, one day, Hiromi's eyes are dark and distant during the jostle, the handover of paperwork, distracted and lost in something bigger...and absentmindedly he leans in, kissing you on the lips right there in the corridor, "love you, byy-"

You touch your lips. Hiromi's tongue darts out to taste his. You are both stunned, perplexed, blushing and flustered--

-- just work besties.

[maybe-boys-do-love]

SOTUS Review: Engineering the Bridge To BL

I'm not exactly a sucker for teen dramas. Miss me with Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. Even less soapy shows like The OC or Dawson's Creek that I checked out because of their critical status in the genre were not shows that I felt compelled to finish after watching a few episodes. However, teen dramas were a rare space in media where queer characters were allowed to exist as secondary or tertiary characters, so in my young gayhood I searched amongst less popular shows for gay storylines like in Canada's Degrassi. I binge-watched Australia's Dance Acadamy until they killed off the gay character and sought out lists about groundbreaking shows from before my time like My So-Called Life.

The latter is not simply exceptional for its gay representation but for aiming higher than its teen soap peers for realist complexity in its characters. Later, shows like Freaks and Geeks and the UK's Skins would take up that torch, then Friday Night Lights, which had the genius to bring in the institution of American football culture in the South of the the US to ground its commentary on American racial and economic politics. Norway's Skam arrived in 2015 using the "Russ Bus" tradition for similar purposes--and used the strength of its writing to depict a globally celebrated queer story the same year as SOTUS. These elevated coming-of-age teen dramas I count among my favorite series ever in any genre.

I bring up all this TV history because I found no review yet that adequately conveys SOTUS's equivalent storytelling goals and prowess, nor do they fully indicate that SOTUS is one of the most compelling BLs to this day. Historically important, they read, but mediocre production values, primarily for straight women and homophobic, with a hazing setting that might be triggering for viewers, all implying its a relic of a less enlightened time in BL history that later shows will improve upon. While I'd recommend reading them to learn more about the history of the series that I'm less interested in covering here, these are not exactly rave reviews. What a surprise to begin the series and witness right out of the gate precision, complexity, and depth to its queer depictions that's equal to any Thai BL that followed in its groundbreaking wake.

The series manages to engineer (wah wah) bridges to blend the naturalistic elements of those other elevated teen drama precedents with the tropes and styles that populated Thai BL novels (like the pink milk from 2Moons2) and will define Thai BL series in the years to come. In Thailand, the series Love Sick came first in its BL focus, but, as lovely as Love Sick is, it sprawls across flatter characters in its focus and fails to celebrate the breadth of queerness in some harmful ways. On the other hand, SOTUS, in pacing, casting, characterization, and theme development, links BL to a plot-driven Western style and decidedly queer perspective. There's a reason it was the show to begin the more intense global interest in BL series.

Below the cut, you'll find my review about the qualities that made SOTUS so outstanding to me.

SOTUS initially struck me with the tightness of its dialogues and cuts, especially compared to many other Thai BLs that I've seen, which have a bawdy theatrical spaciousness in their tempo, more in line with broad comedy or soap opera, telenovela, and Thai lakorn. Not so in SOTUS. It gives time enough for its actors to emote but orients toward storytelling precision. Plot-forward Thai BL comparables I've seen so far might be Not Me or Moonlight Chicken. Unlike those series, SOTUS won't be any cinematography nerd's dream, clearly limited by its budget in this matter, but it works hard to keep the limits of a small budget from distracting. The cheaply licensed scoring music, for example, is surprisingly effective, its repeated pulsing dread adding to the momentum ignited by the SOTUS initiation of the freshman at Thai universities.

Senior year of high school, I selected universities for application based on my fear of hazing. No fraternities near campus for me. The gendered organization and reputation for homophobic cruelty were existential threats to me as a closeted teenager. For many gay men, including myself, frat houses and initiation ceremonies were also sites of homoerotic fantasy. Thus is the duality of gay experience.

The Thai hazing context differs from the US (no gender segregation, for example), but the series mines the same psychological tension between danger and eroticism with its controversial use of the real-life SOTUS hazing induction system--the abbreviation stands for Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirit--to ground its queer romance. The actual implementation of it at Thai universities has more issues than the show depicts and, while the series' hazing is a form of bullying that can trigger some, the mildness of the abuse depicted ought to be stated, especially when compared to American ideas about hazing abuse and queer media's depictions of homophobic violence. SOTUS portrays shouted verbal instructions and physical endurance trials as the means of degradation, with no physical violence and reprimands with consequences when its believed seniors have disrespected their charges or put them at risk.

Rather than a critique of the SOTUS system itself, the system provides the organizational hub for the series' broader societal commentary, and itts treatment elevates the show to the likes of Friday Night Lights or Skam. Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice title was taken from a line in Fanny Bruney's Cecilia about the two faults being both the cause of miseries and the reason for their termination. The series treats the SOTUS system and everything else within in the same manner: with complexity rather than binary keep-it-or-leave-it moralism. The S.O.T.U.S. values parallel the confines of a deeply imperfect society that when seen as strictly authoritarian pass down rules and pain from the elder generation to the the next. However, when viewed and practiced as the series encourages by the end of its story through a more nuanced understanding of the Asian filial philosophies at play, the values of seniority, order, tradition, unity, and spirit also invite compassion and affinity flowing in both directions across the generations.

The slowly emerging slight but significant age-gap romance between righteous freshman Kongpob and head 'hazer' Arthit is the central device for this exploration, but every element and scene, from the side couples to the food orders, develop our sense as viewers of the social order that the show wants to address. And the scenes move like well-lubricated assembly-line machinery toward their final purpose. It's obsession-inducing.

Despite the machinery of SOTUS's pacing, it delicately fashions its character and an environment gently permeated by homophobia and misogyny. Celebratory moments occurred to highlight themes without drawing attention to themselves, heterosexual coupling and marriages, for example, or a classmate coming out. Slurs surfaced casually, too, and old-fashioned masculinities were performed not as major plot points, spectacles of violence, or lessons for characters to immediately learn from, but to illustrate how inherited ignorance and constraints bear down almost invisibly on the characters. No one was demonized or ostracized for their ignorance, not because the writers view their actions positively but because they view their ignorance as a product of systematic failings, failings each generation can and will attempt to improve upon as they inherit the reigns. No one generation will make it all perfectly right. They are only human.

You can feel that humanity in the way the characters are written. All of the characters are distinguishable and interesting. They're written well and performed with heart. We have actual girls just chilling and being friends in a BL series, which was historically novel. Ingenues and horny girls and shy lesbians. The guys are recognizable guys, which is another feature Thai BL does exceptionally well. There are some dorks, some bros. The best friend in the freshman group is shy with strangers but open with his friends and fierce on the basketball court. I've known people like these. They are characters that are broad enough to recognize from a distance (or less screen time) but not simple stereotypes.

Then, on top of this you have the casual trans, gay, and nonbinary inclusion of bit parts and side characters that, to this day, only Thailand is doing in its shows to this extent. Its just impressive to see that their BL industry started off from the get-go at this level. But in SOTUS its not simply casual inclusion, either. These characters, unlike comparable characters in Love Sick, delineate moments of queer kindness that blur the understood hierarchical order of the initiation system and the heteronormative order holding our romantic leads back. In subtle ways they offer queer guidance and a model to Kong on his journey.

Then there's Kongpob and Arthit at the queer center of it all. Ugh! These two characters! These two performances! In Singto's watery sphynx-like eyes, in Krist's clinched jaw, in the electrified space between their bodies that the characters must restrain themselves against crossing, these are the heights of longing the romance genre can reach at its peak. There's an inner pain in these characters. That pain is old-school romance and its old-school queer pain.

I've read complaints about the physical intimacy in this show that I realize after watching the series are ignoring the characterizations of repression and inexperience that impact every interaction between Art and Kong, even their kisses. They aren't on the het timeline, instead having their first kiss and relationship in college, which is why SOTUS aligns with the teen drama genre so well despite its university setting. The greenness of their physical affection (we see it grow more competent and comfortable as the show progresses), however, belies an emotional chemistry that's intense, erotic, and intimate. Many more explicit BL scenes feel tame compared to Arthit grabbing Kong's shirt in rage or whispering in his ear in front of a waiting taxi.

I'm looking forward to SOTUS S and its Our Skyy episode to see more about KongArt's partnership, because their characters resist the seme/uke categorization of the BL genre they emerge from (which are also basically the stereotypes of top and bottom that gay men placed on themselves lol). Their ages and behaviors are reversed from the expected, first off. Kong, the younger, pursues, making him technically the seme and Arthit the uke, character definitions that also indicate sexual preferences of top and bottom. This wasn't unheard of in BL texts from what I've read, but less typical. Then there's the matter of Arthit being the one who initiates physical affection, partly due to Kong's regard for his challenges with internalized homophobia. Apparently, even the pronouns used between the pair are an intimate negotiation rather than an accepted order, returning us to the more complex ways the S.O.T.U.S. acronym can be enacted.

Plus, Kong's played by Singto with impressive power and confidence that's still soft-spoken, slippery, sibilant. To my trained eyes, its a character with mannerism and speech that are legibly gay. Not so legible that all his peers will notice, but he's clockable for queer eyes and worrisome for those afraid of deviation from the norm. For me, this is Thailand's biggest BL breakthrough (and its persisted down this path*) because, for many in the LGBT+ community, challenges begin well before anything to do with sexual attraction.

Gender deviance is the key issue. I was teased by a classmate at 8, well before I had a sexuality, that when I walk I move my hips like a f*gg*t. Don't worry. He wasn't totally wrong. I have a killer strut and I own it now. His antagonism wasn't about who I liked; it was my swish, my non-masculine behaviors. The hatred of gender deviance (and its misogynistic reasoning) is the underlying bogeyman for much of homophobia. Even plenty of men who are perfectly happy to have sex with men, at least where I live in the US, take issue with effeminacy. (Try finding the most overt lesbians on tv outside of OITNB, too!) That applies to audiovisual media, too. Unless comedic, consumers have tended to be more excited about queerness when the bodies and expressions appear in-line with gender expectations. The power of Thai BL and Singto's performance of Kong is how it opened space in the market and audience's minds to take queer affects seriously in young adult romance.

It's no surprise, then, that Kong forges friendships with the characters who are overtly LGBT during the series. The associations made between Kong and the fullness of the LGBT spectrum provides a more complex context for the show's choice to include him expressing the BL trope of 'only gay for you.' While it's a harmful concept broadly, the show seems to be using it subversively. How much more regressive it would've felt coming from Arthit! With Kong and all of his queer associations, it plays as the words of a gay romantic. With the diversity of coming-outs and identity-naming we now have in BL, Kong's moon-eyed statement made on the night his boyfriend comes out for him holds less of a harmful influence on the whole.

Context is just as important to the oft-critiqued scene where Kong says that he'll make Arthit his wife. Based on what I'd read and how impactful and problematic people felt it was, I thought the statement had been a romantic declaration late in the series. Imagine my surprise when it occurred in the first episode as an attempt by Kong to disrupt the patriarchal power of the seniors. Rather than illustrating the show's belief about gay relationships being the same as straight relationships, the scene points to the patriarchal assumptions the series intends by its end to disrupt. The exchange gets reenacted when the freshman decide to act it out at the faculty beach outing for everyone. The seniors interrupt, and the freshman fear they're about to be punished for disrespecting their elders only to find out they're being invited to finally celebrate their inclusion into the faculty. It's denied fruition as a tool to dis-empower and a true testament of Art and Kong's relationship.

It's at the beach where the freshman are given their gears, one of the many examples of how the series used symbols with significantly more depth than the copy-cats that tried to make bank by using the exact same motifs later. The proceeding BL engineers owe not a debt but an apology to SOTUS. The engineering faculty fit perfectly with the show's questions about systems and how individuals fit into them. We have these gears, which could simply be cogs in a machine that forces you to fit in and lose your humanity, but SOTUS envisions the gear as a heart, something unique, attempting to find its place and fit its grooves within a greater purpose. Its a symbol of authentic belonging.

The pink drink, which could've simply served--and has served in other series since--to be a symbol of pink gay girly tastes, is more fully used to emphasize Arthit's stubborn desire for familiarity, his inexperience (in trying other drinks), and a certain childishness in his preference for sweetness, a childishness that humanizes him to his freshman paramor. A trade even occurs with the drink, shifting all these meanings onto Kongpob as he begins to face his own prideful assumptions about his own righteousness.

Beyond all the English teacher symbolism and queer value, though, SOTUS is just the kind of well-told romance that will make you swoon. Despite a low budget and simple plot, its performances, editing, and most of all its script mesmerize. People shouldn't watch it as a history lesson. Its too entertaining to be relegated to that. Labeling it as simply historically important doesn't do it justice.

SOTUS stands tall among teen dramas, a literary work in a genre that doesn't require those heights; SOTUS stands tall among queer media peers, paving new lanes for queer storytelling and performances to walk down; and SOTUS stands tall among its BL peers. Clearly many of the greats in Thai BL, like 1000 Stars, Bad Buddy, and Until We Meet Again, aim to evoke their predecessor, more out of love and awe than an apology (as has been suggested by others). The ways they differ seem to be additions and diversification of queer narratives rather than a critique. SOTUS is simply one of those Great Stories. It inspires binging, revisits, investigations, and, most importantly, the biggest feels. Watch it now if you haven't. Watch it again if you have. Its not a piece of history. Its the kind of story that doesn't get old.

*Thank goodness for LITBC bringing Korea some overtly gay characters. Japan's got a few options--KENJI!--but not enough for my liking yet. I haven't seen enough of the other country's output to make a judgment.

Tagging @dropthedemiurge for being the biggest supporter of my new-found SOTUS obsession and @respectthepetty for the petty watch that got me over my lack of motivation to watch this series! Petty was half-joking but also so right about the kink undertones to this relationship!!!

There are certainly more versed BL history experts so feel free to let me know about any mistakes I made with my history! I'm just a broad and casual tv history and queer fiction and history fan tryna share my new-found BL joy.

[bcacstuff]

One of the US reviews for TCND:

These days, Sam Heughan is a fan-favorite presence on the small screen, but he wouldn't have garnered mainstream awareness if it hadn't been for his breakout role in the hit television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander book series. Over the last decade, Heughan's performance as a swoony Scottish hero and self-professed wife guy on the Starz series has propelled him to certified heartthrob status — but with Outlander finally set to conclude with its eighth and final season at a date yet to be determined, it's no wonder Heughan has been taking other projects, perhaps in an effort to step out from the long shadow that Jamie Fraser still casts.

On paper, The Couple Next Door, Starz's six-part psychological thriller based on the Dutch series Nieuwe Buren, has a lot going for it, as messy relationship dynamics play out against the idyllic backdrop of suburbia — and at first, the show gives every indication that it's ramping up to an erotic, twisted climax. But despite best attempts from Heughan, along with his main co-stars Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark), Jessica de Gouw (Arrow), and Alfred Enoch (How To Get Away With Murder), the series frustratingly pivots away from its most intriguing elements in favor of weaker B-plots, ultimately resulting in a hectic finale that relies too heavily on outdated, regressive tropes to drive its biggest conflicts.

What Is 'The Couple Next Door' About?

Primary school teacher Evie Greenwood (Tomlinson) and her partner, journalist Pete Thomas (Enoch), are looking for a fresh start in more ways than one. Moving to a small suburb in Leeds feels like the right next move for the young couple, especially once they run into their next-door neighbors, PC Danny Whitwell (Heughan) and his wife, yoga instructor Becka (de Gouw), while attempting to lug their belongings into the new house. Evie is drawn to the beautiful young couple from the start for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being her attraction to Danny. However, as someone who grew up in a very conservative, religious household, Evie's eyes are soon opened to her neighbors' more non-traditional lifestyle.

As the four spend more and more time together, Becka and Danny disclose the fact that they're non-monogamous, even if they make a point of always "playing" together with other couples. As Evie starts to entertain the idea of experimentation, Pete's reservations about opening up their relationship lead to rising tensions. Yet their drama isn't the only one that plays out within this seemingly sleepy community. As a somewhat lowly traffic cop with little authority and mounting bills to pay, Danny begins to accept late-night jobs that don't exactly fall on the legal side of things — right around the time that Pete starts digging into local corruption for his latest exposé. As for Becka, she's built a successful social media presence, but she's also attracted a creepy real-life stalker in the process, one who isn't willing to go away without throwing a wrench into her picture-perfect existence.

Over the first half of its eight episodes (all of which were provided for review), The Couple Next Door has a lot of promise, especially when it focuses on the evolving and tangled relationships between its main foursome. Yet the series is also majorly underserved by its pacing, as it spends a significant amount of time devoted to building up that tension and then ultimately fails at offering a more nuanced depiction of attraction and obsession given the sheer number of other characters and storylines that have to be juggled. The problem is that none of these secondary threads are even remotely as interesting as the main one; every scene spared for Becka's stalker, or Danny's off-the-books job, or any side character for that matter, feels like a missed opportunity to return to the emotional rollercoaster playing out between the two leading couples. Cutting at least one of these B-plots may also have resulted in a better lead-up to the finale, which climaxes in a way that feels extreme, even for these four.

Some characters are afforded better treatment — in many instances, de Gouw's Becka feels like one of the only mature adults in the room — but others seem to regress in increasingly drastic ways purely for the sake of drama. Unfortunately, The Couple Next Door joins recent films like Nightbitch and Babygirl in giving one of its female characters a backstory steeped in extreme, cult-like religion that feels perplexing at best and reductive at worst in justifying sexual exploration. Evie's ignorance about polyamory could've been filtered through a simpler, more straightforward premise of a woman embracing her innermost desires, and the blurred lines that result when she finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn't. But Tomlinson's character is done the biggest disservice over the course of the season; as Evie's fixation on Danny intensifies, she becomes even more of a caricature, with her later scenes devolving into stereotypical '80s erotic thriller territory — and not in a way that can be considered complimentary. The show's men don't fare any better; while he does have excellent chemistry with both Tomlinson and de Gouw in the scenes that call for it, Heughan is given very little to do other than handsomely brood. Meanwhile, Enoch, in welcome contrast, initially gets to play a more level-headed and less alpha presence, but, like Evie, Pete's characterization annoyingly falls prey to jealousy and rage.

In many ways, this show would have been better off solely revolving around these objectively attractive people and the palpable tension that stems from them debating whether they should all sleep together — and to a point, The Couple Next Door delivers on that front. But the season quickly becomes derailed by way of less intriguing subplots, disappointing character regression, and poor pacing that struggles to build to a satisfying finale. It'd be one thing if there was a promise for more at the end of it all, but with the show having already been renewed for a Season 2 featuring a completely new cast, there's no opportunity for this version of The Couple Next Door to continue. Given how it all wraps up, though, maybe that's for the best.

The Couple Next Door premieres January 17 on Starz.

[chinzillas]

@kdramaspace 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW | Best Picture | best or favorite drama/film(s) of 2024

- miss night and day - joy of life (s2) - a shop for killers - ready, set, love - like flowers in the sand - love next door

[silviakundera]

with the conclusion of Snowfall...

why do i enjoy Republican Era chinese dramas so much?

aesthetics! there is this blend of 1920-30s western fashion influences and traditional chinese garb & architecture that just pleases my eyes.

everyone looks very depressed & dangerous & sexy

chaotic period of transition - no matter if you're in the 1910's, 20's, 30's some absolutely wild historical shit was going down

cars and guns and gloves and swords. rotary phones!

dancing & drinking in night clubs, in glamorous pockets amid the violence & instability outside; a lil touch of mask of the red death vibes

end of empire themes, as a country tries to find its way after the end of the last imperial dynasty

there's those gangster, mob boss vibes from american and british dramas set in the 1920s, except everything is cranked up x100 because of general lawlessness; central government and law & order was a paper thin veneer over warlords

the start of WW2 from an entirely different perspective than the common narratives that I was exposed to growing up in the US (which is 99% stories about the european stage)

sino-japanese war / war of resistance material like Hidden Blade is fucking badass ok 🤷

in a time of resistance to occupation, colonizers encroaching, warlords fighting over cities, brewing civil war.... there are many different options of protagonists and unlikely "heroes" who are picking their battles and discovering what they are willing to fight for

Beautiful 👏 women 👏 in heels 👏and 👏 slinky 👏dresses 👏

Lots of revenge narratives. I love an over-the-top, bloodthirsty & destructive revenge narrative

Depending on the genre, there might be little or heavy politcal /patriotic discourse. But tbh none of the rah rah patriotism stuff distracts me much, because all the american and british produced stuff set around WW2 has rah rah patriotism & propaganda in it, so I just consider that part of the essential genre vibes. It's just another country's version. (Of course, others will have less patience when it becomes heavy-handed. YMMV.)

Dark & Gritty

Hidden Blade (film) - a masterpiece, if you enjoy dark WW2 spy films that play with narrative style and challenge the viewer to follow the story as it's woven. Had to review detailed historical context for the years in question, to be ready to consume. But worth it. I've watched it 3 times. 💀

Heroes (2024) - the very beginning era of this genre/the transition into repulican period. rocks fall, everyone dies. Primarily a tragic wuxia & pre-republican fusion. Excellent enough that I didn't mind the bleak storyline. 💀

Detective-ing

Miss S - adaption of 1920s Australian mystery procedural Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, staring Vengo! ML actor of Snowfall

Checkmate - Agatha Christie stories adapted to the setting & time period, plus bromance. I watched half the episodes w my brother, as we are both huge agatha christie fans. It was fun if you can be chill about adaption changes.

My Roommate is A Detective - for mystery & bromance lovers. Same actor duo as Checkmate.

Detective L - don't know much about this one tbh

Romance arc, with a somewhat happy ending for the 2 leads

Provoke - Gorgeous, glamorous, vibes vibes vibes all day long. Revenge and romance. ❤

Fall in Love - sons & daughters of warlords and their supporters get sexy and dangerous and decide even joining the civil war is better than the prior generation's bullshit. This is an objectively bad drama that I really enjoyed anyway (it helps that I skipped every scene for the 2nd and 3rd couples). This one turns v propaganda heavy at the end, if that bothers you. ❤

Arsenal Military Academy - military training hijinks w a side of cross dressing romance. Xu Kai and Bai Lu! It's soliders and japanese invasion et al, so be prepared for the standard patriotism. Comedy & drama. HE for the FL/ML but expect character death in this subject matter. ❤

Rookie Agent Rogue - Late 1930s spy drama with small romance side-plot. Expect the standard wartime patriotism, like with Arsenal Military Academy. The draw is the lead actress, the FL from Princess Agents, Minglan, Legend of Shen Li. HE for the FL/ML but expect character death in this subject matter. ❤

City of Streamer - Older woman seduces younger man who is the son of her revenge target. Melodrama with people serving looks. ❤

War of Faith* - Young man just wants to join the banking industry and have a subtextually gay relationship with his mentor in peace, but there's a civil war going on. Protagonist would like to be excluded from this political narrative, but ultimately is forced to pick a side. ❤🌈 *(Is it censored gay romance? No, not based on a gay novel. So not officially! But some viewers felt there was a subtextual romance storyline #shenlai ; YMMV. The happy ending is Untamed-esque; implied only)

many, many pulpy mini-dramas about revenge! warlords! ladies with pistols! (Miss Mystery, First Marriage, Maid's Revenge, etc)

Also... (happy ending not guaranteed)

Siege in Fog

Love in Flames of War

Couple of Mirrors - censored F/F ��

Stand by Me - censored m/m 🌈

Killer and Healer - censored m/m 🌈

Winter Begonia - censored m/m 🌈

[cocogum]

The Great Wave - Chapter 2 Review

‼️ SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER ‼️

I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is, no smexy time here.

The good news is, we get some Yugo and Adamaï moments, AND the SADIDAS are FUMING 😍🥰

But before we see the sadidas, we can’t start this off without addressing Yugo and Adamaï’s interaction at the beginning of the chapter.

Cuz man, I liked it but when @vinillain addressed it and even ANALYZED IT I fell in love with this scene even more 💖💖

Without their perspective on the matter, I would have missed so many details. Here’s the post if you are interested.

So yeah I’m glad I found their analysis on it and I hope you like it just as much as I did ✨

Now let’s start.

I found babes lol (the dot is so tiny!!)

Look at his emo ass just looking gloomy after having a wet dream. My guy is such a drama queen that he decided to sit at the top of the kingdom just to make himself feel better.

(Get down from there you little shit-)

Adamaï swoops in and actually helps? Omg slay? Like you’re doing something helpful while scolding Yugo that’s actually good. Cuz ngl I’ve been getting kinda annoyed that Yugo had just left Amalia to deal with the sadidas’ problems all alone.

If Yugo didn't have nightmares like these from time to time, I could have overlooked his decision to leave her to deal with it on her own. But now that we know he does get them, it’s a pretty big deal.

He confirms it to Adamaï when he tells him that his condition has been worsening meaning that he’s already used to it and yet decides to not say anything to Amalia AND KEEPS LEAVING HER DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE ON HER OWN. Now he obviously doesn’t leave her like that during the whole day. It’s just that there’s a good chance he’s not there with her during the mornings. Like, imagine fucking a dude who keeps having PTSD nightmares every two nights. Now we know why she got pissed in Chapter 1 when he left her on the ground naked like that. Girl just wants to have fun and lead her people let her have her moment-

Also, we all saw this coming folks.

The blue cows are back.

Bro is trying so hard to be Eva. Look at him trying to visualize and zoom in on the wastes of spaces coming to the kingdom.

Also, I remember how some of us used to think that Aurora was pregnant which is why she might’ve had the balls to come back to the kingdom and try to regain her throne, you know, the very same kingdom THAT SHE FUCKING FLED FROM DURING A WAR THAT COULD’VE WIPED THE WHOLE RACE. The pregnancy theory was a common one to be shared around because the trailer for the manga did not show her stomach. Some of them also theorized that theory because it made the most sense as to why she’d want to come back willingly whether her father wanted her to or not.

Of course, no shade to anyone who thought about this theory before but I love how they tried to justify her stupidity for returning by making up this theory.

Cuz it turns out that bitch wasn’t pregnant after all.

Her stomach is flatter than a washboard and her return happened AFTER FOUR MONTHS (or around that number at least) so her stomach would have at least had a bump but she got none of that.

Judging by Yugo’s expression when he realizes them, he doesn’t look like he’s surprised to see that they’re coming back. He looks like he’s pissed off, annoyed at the fact that they’re coming.

I initially believed that the reason why Yugo looked angry, instead of confused or shocked at seeing them come back, was because the royal Osamodas family might have been trying to return during those few months after season 4. But it turns out that this wasn’t the case because when Aurora manages to re-enter the kingdom, Amalia tells her she didn’t expect her to come back ever again. This means that the royal osamodas family only came back once. So Yugo’s only reason for being angry at seeing them must’ve been because he heard everything the family did through Amalia (including all the times the blue cow tried to marry Amalia off to one of her brothers AND THEN her cousin) which is pretty understandable to be pissed off about.

Finally, after a full week of waiting, the Sadida people make their presence known in this chapter AND IT’S EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED.

We learn that the sadidas are annoyed that the elite eliatropes have not only stayed but that they also shared some of their lands.

I genuinely feel bad for this eliatrope getting criticism from this old sadida. True, they did come here and stayed but they’re not even a lot to begin with. We’re not talking about thousands of children eliatropes here. We’re talking about 30 to 40 eliatropes since these were the bravest to have joined their mother and ALSO completed a lot of missions (that they knew of through the eliaculus) that involved putting their life on the line. So to hear these sadidas claim that they don’t feel at home must say A LOT if 30-40ish eliatropes were able to make such a change. The old sadida man even said that they do not understand sacrifice as the sadidas do.

And that’s something that’s been bothering me since I learned that the sadidas weren’t aware of the eliatropes’ past.

Didn’t Amalia tell Yugo to explain to the sadidas their background?? It sure sounds like he didn’t do anything about presenting his people to Amalia’s. If you’re going to share a land with people you’ve never seen before, you might as well present yourself, no? Because if you don’t, tension and possible harassment are exactly what would happen to the eliatropes if they don’t do anything about that topic.

I also wanted to point out how the people have been behaving towards Amalia in Seasons 1 to the Ovas. This is important to notice because these guys clearly love her and always think of her as a good future queen. We even get a confirmation in Season 4 that a lot of sadidas would rather have her as their leader rather than Armand.

So the fact that a lot of them are now feeling like they’re not at home anymore because Amalia let the elite eliatropes stay makes them think as if they’ve somewhat been betrayed by her.

Translation for 1st panel: “Your father and brother would have never accepted this!”

Translation for 2nd panel: “He’s right! We aren’t at home here!”

Translation for 3rd panel: “These eliatropes are not like us! Your father and brother would have never shared our lands!”

This is a very big shift from what we know. For once, Amalia doesn’t receive smiles or praises.

A lot of them are now siding with Armand and her father, claiming that they wouldn’t have let the eliatropes stay. We know Armand wouldn’t have done that because he confirmed it to Amalia in Season 4 right after the meeting with the Eliatrope goddess ended. But Amalia’s father? No. King Oakheart would’ve welcomed them with open arms. He told Yugo that he had no problem welcoming his people (he said this in Season 2).

The sadidas were right about one of her family members not accepting the eliatropes and I believe it reflects how hurt they all feel about this decision. Because they have no one else to blame this decision on, they are trying to think that only Amalia in the royal family would’ve done that so they immediately point fingers at her.

And then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the blue cows are officially back. And yes, I’m going to call them blue cows from now on, just like how I addressed them in the beginning too.

Yugo: “Sorry, I didn’t have the time to warn you.”

Also Yugo: has the ability to create portals.

The Osamodas family is even more brain-dead than I thought.

Blue fat cow over here is saying “here’s your legitimate ruler” while pointing at another cow but she ain’t even a Sadida. And then you’ve got Amalia over here who’s obviously royal Sadida blood so idk why tf the blue cow king would think he did something there. The sadidas just said that they don’t feel at home cuz of the eliatropes so what makes him think the people are gonna accept a useless blue cow who’s only not a Sadida but did nothing during the war? The sadidas are already pissed at not feeling like they’re at home, don’t throw more gasoline into the fire by claiming an OSAMODAS is fit for the SADIDA THRONE.

Yugo’s wave where you at?

The Osamodas King lost so many neurones when he stayed in that cave, he should just go back in there with his ugly crusty ass bats.

But it’s alright, I’m not even mad (i’m fuming) because no matter how stupid and dumb the king sounded, if you look at chapter 3’s cover, the king doesn’t look confident and cocky anymore.

Clearly, something must’ve happened in the throne room when he was spewing all this shit about Aurora being the “legitimate heir” because AGAIN, that’s clearly Amalia’s role so I genuinely hope that the sadidas were the ones who made the king frown like that. Because there’s a gigantic possibility that they must have flat-out told the king to sit his ass down and remind him that he and his worthless daughter didn’t do shit when the war happened and now he suddenly wants to rule them?? Of course they’d get pissed by what he said!

The majority of them obviously looked bothered by what he had just announced as well. Everyone in the throne room looked like they were just shocked to hear him talk. EVERYONE.

So yeah, I hope I see this fatass get humiliated. Even the eliatropes are like ‘sir what the fuck are you doing’ type of shit.

[dearhaos]

It’s a new year again! It feels like this past year really flew by (it also feels like it really didn’t). A LOT has happened for me this year; I got my degree right when I started genuinely doubting I would, I moved countries, from the city to a small ass town, I started my first job and everything that goes with that (including a crush with no hopes of working out)... The contrast between the first and second half of the year was clear, both to me, and, I think, to everyone, considering my sudden inactivity. 

As always — I think you’re all used to it by now, although I am sorry to announce I don’t have any cute graphics to go with it this time around — here are my messages to the people who kept me close company this year! they might be a bit (a lot) shorter this time around… i AM writing them at work, actually. staying the night today. turns out there’s a lot of ambulances coming through on the last day of the year. you’d be surprised.

To. ERI

MY DEAREST, my one(ri) and only!! HAPPY NEW YEAR <33 first of all, i’m really, really, really SO grateful… for everything, as always, but mostly for sticking with me through this year, and for always finding the time to text me daily despite being so so busie… it really does mean a whole lot to me… </3 this was a big, big year, and i’m glad that i got to spend it with you. i’m looking forward to spend the next one with you as well (maybe partially in person. . .!). words truly can’t describe just how much you mean to me, and everything that you’ve done for me, and i’m always so thankful to have you as a friend. let’s remain close in 2025 (and onward!) as well… will you have me? <3 

p.s. your housewarming slash birthday slash christmas gift is in preparation. im sorry i still havent sent it i know its been forever

p.p.s. i still feel bad for not doing anything for your birthday im SO sorry

To. GABI

my gabi whom i love and who forgot about me for the sake of their love life (/jk)! happy new year… will this be the year i get an invite to your wedding? i am waiting. lmk when to send you my address! on a more serious note, i really do wish you the best, despite being a bit jealous. i hope this year to come will only be better — and i hope you’ll let me know all about it along the way!! i love you with all my heart!! 

p.s. we still need to schedule a call, it’s been forever…

p.p.s. i hope that he knows just how lucky he is to have you

To. BIE

my baby bear who had to deal with me this entire year… i’m sure it wasn’t easy. thank you so much for putting up with me. you really do feel like a sweet little plush bear that i can talk to freely. i hope you’ll be okay with me annoying you throughout 2025 as well… because, personally, i’m already looking forward to it. happy new year <3 remember that i love you.

To. INA

my (booktok cursed) little otter whom i love! happy new year!! i’m always so glad that we get to spend the year together, and this year was no exception to the rule. thank you for letting me annoy you with my little movie reviews this year <3 and i’m sorry that we still didn’t get to finish twisted love, i promise i’m on it. this year was a big one for us (we called!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and i hope 2025 will be even bigger (may we meet even still this winter plsplsplsplspls). i love you, i kiss you, i hold you like a little cat in my arms, remember that you’re SO precious to me!!!

To. my wife, RO

NO DIVORCE!!!! my wife who had to deal with me liking a man this year, i am so sorry. but remember that you’re my wife forever and always, no matter what. also, you’re prettier than he is. happy new year my spouse <3 we don’t get to talk as often as when we were both unemployed, but i hope that you remember that i love you lots. and i’m always there if you want to talk. maybe we can find more time for each other in the upcoming year! 

p.s. we should call again sometime

p.p.s. you look SO good in that pink outfit. see: ig

To. VY

my dramamate whom i so miss watching dramas with… how is a girl supposed to live… vy i am having withdrawals. i have been. why are we so busy. let’s quit our jobs. do it for zhou yiran. and me. please. seriously, though, i’m glad that we still manage to somewhat stay in touch despite being this busy. i like you a lot. i hope you know that. happy new year!! i won’t wish you unemployment in 2025, despite the beginning of this paragraph, because i know that you like your job, and i’m very happy that you do. i will, however, wish for us to somehow find the time to go back to our silly little chinese romcoms. we both need it, i think. a little romcom a day keeps the doctor away, or something. love you!! <3

To. my mother-in-law, ANNA

anna, who finally followed me back after 20 years of unrequited love, and who, surprisingly, had quite a presence in my (social) life this year!! should i start by saying nice to meet you? my fellow polander. i am still quite shy around you (believe it or not), but i am always happy to interact with you!! thank you for being so sweet to me. and i hope we can interact more in 2025!! happy new year <3

To. my puppy, VEN

who i haven’t talked to much this year, but who has been a constant reassuring presence in my life for… so long, now. i think you know this, but i love you, and i think of you often (it’s clear from how many things i send you weekly, i think). i hope that this new year can treat you well, and bring you many opportunities. and… that you can remain my friend. thank you for being there for me. and happy new year!! <3

To. my cherry fox, IRI

my beloved forest witch… i am so sorry we didn’t make it to the jesus birthday café this year. maybe the next one… i WILL be wishing for it every year until we actually go. i am insane like that. my iri, happy new year!! please remember that i love you lots, even when we don’t talk much. also please pretend you don’t see me perceiving your zebimen. i’m hoping this next year treats you well, and that we can continue to keep in touch. i love you. a lot. a lot, a lot, a lot. and thank you for sticking with me for so many years now. <3

To. my meow-meow, AWEKS

my meoweks, who i haven’t talked to much this year, but who has achieved a LOT in 2024 — may this continue in 2025!! i am really proud of everything you’ve achieved, i think i’ve made it clear, but i’ll say it again and again. im sending you kisses. also, as you know, i’m very excited for 2025 because of the MILWEKS MEOWMEOW MEETUP THATS FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!! it feels surreal. i’m insanely excited. bet you’re excited to meet your tty (ur her biggest fan after all), too! and so, let’s go into 2025 full of hopes!! happy new year <3

To. my loml, BRI

my brina who has been so busy being a big big college girlie this year!! i’ve been missing your updates, and talking to you, but i am SO proud of you — for making it this far, and for keeping it up!! a lot has happened this year for you as well, and i hope that the next year can bring some more HAVING A CAR AND BELOVED FRIENDS to u. i am always, always so proud of you, and i’m always cheering you on, and i hope that you can remember that if you’re facing hard times (although… i am hoping you remember me, from time to time, in good times as well). remember that i love you, always. happy new year <3

To. my LÉKS, my PAULA, my LU’LU’, my MEG, my MIHA

thank you for staying by my side this year. although we don’t talk much, you’re always, always in my heart, and i think about you more often than you’d think. i hope we can remain in contact throughout the next year as well. happy new year <3 may it be better than this previous one, for all of you. don’t forget that i’m always cheering you on (from deep in your pockets). and if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.

[nxzz-skz]

collision (skz x reader)

ᯓ★ idol!minho falling for his enemy fem!reader

ᯓ★warnings: minho is kinda mean at first, enemies to lovers, kissing

ᯓ★note: i'm starting a tag list so leave a comment or ask to be added!

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

This wasn't how it was meant to be. This was supposed to be you big break. Landing a choreography role with JYP Entertainment had been a dream ever since you'd started training as a dancer. This was your chance to work on something big, to get you noticed-helping choreograph Stray Kids' comeback. you'd spend days studying their movements, watched every stage performance, and prepared endlessly for this moment.

But then it happened.

He happened.

From the moment you first met Lee Minho, you knew he was here for trouble. Handsome, talented, and annoying full of himself, he had that untouchable aura of someone who didn't feel the need to prove themselves. He carried himself with an effortless swag that struck all your nerves. And to make matters worse, he clearly didn't like you either.

The first rehearsal was proof of that.

"It's too stiff," he said, eyes locked on the monitor showing playback of the group's routine. "That transition doesn't flow."

You stiffened, gripping your phone a little tighter. "It's supposed to have a pause there. It's deliberate."

"Well, it looks awkward. And stupid." he shot back, still watching the monitor. "If you're going for 'deliberate,' you missed the mark."

"Maybe it looks awkward because you're not hitting it properly," you retorted. The other members let out a collective "ooh," exchanging amused glances.

Minho raised an eyebrow at you, lips curving into a slow, disbelieving smirk. It was the kind of smirk that said, Oh, you think you can challenge me? He tilted his head, eyes narrowing with amusement and something sharper.

"Alright," he said, stepping forward and clearing his throat. "Why don't you show me how it's done then. You're clearly the expert here."

"Gladly," you shot back, slamming your phone on the table and striding to the centre of the room.

Everyone sat down and watched as you executed the move with surgical precision, your body snapping into each position with absolute control. When you finished, breathing heavily and running a hand through your hair, you turned to face him. "Like that."

There was a pause, the kind of pause that made your heart pound in your chest. His eyes scanned over you slowly, studying every single one of your features. And then, to your complete surprise, he slowly nodded.

"Not bad," he muttered, already turning away, grabbing a bottle of water.

Not bad.

That was only the start of it.

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

The following weeks were exhausting. Between choreographing new moves and teaching the members, you were pushed to your limit. But your biggest source of frustration wasn’t the moves. It was Minho.

He questioned every decision, challenged every suggestion, and made you second-guess everything you thought you knew. Your exchanges became the highlight of rehearsals—cutting remarks, sharp looks, and just enough chemistry to make the others watch you both like a live-action drama. Han, in particular, loved it.

“Can you two fight more often?” he teased one afternoon. “It’s better than TV.”

You scowled at him, throwing a towel at his head. “Shut up, Han.”

But the teasing didn’t stop. The others began making comments like, "What’s the bet for how long before they kill each other?” and "That’s not tension, that’s foreplay.” You ignored them, but it was impossible not to notice the way Minho’s eyes lingered on you just a little too long.

And then one night, everything shifted.

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

It was 11:50 PM, and you were still at the practice room, reviewing footage. Everyone else had left hours ago. Your eyes were sore, and you were on the verge of giving up when you heard the creak of the door.

You looked up, expecting Bang Chan, but instead, it was him.

Minho stepped inside, bare faced, bangs let down to fall in front of his eyes, his hoodie pulled low, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked just as tired as you felt, but he didn't say anything as he walked up to sit beside you on the bench.

“Didn’t think you’d still be here,” he muttered, eyes on the monitor.

“Could say the same to you,” you replied, not looking at him. You kept your eyes on the footage, scrolling back to the part of the routine you’d been obsessing over.

For a while, neither of you spoke. The only sound was the faint hum of the monitor. But then, he broke the silence.

“You’re too harsh on yourself,” he said quietly.

Your fingers froze on the playback controls. Slowly, you turned to him. “What?”

He leaned back, resting his head on the wall, his eyes still on the screen. “You’re tired, and it’s messing with your head. That move isn’t as bad as you think.”

You blinked at him, not sure how to respond. He wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from him—the person you’d been butting heads with for weeks—made it hit differently. You stared at him, searching for any sign that he was joking or teasing.

He wasn’t.

The silence between you became filled with something neither of you wanted to name. You were so used to bickering with him, so used to trading insults, that this moment of quiet understanding felt like unfamiliar territory. You weren’t sure what to do with it.

So you said the only thing you could. “Thanks, Minho.”

He glanced at you, his lips quirking into a small, rare smile.

“Don’t mention it.”

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

The next few weeks were different. You still argued, but it wasn’t as sharp as before. It felt more like… banter. The others noticed it too.

“You two are acting weird,” said Changbin one day, narrowing his eyes at you both. “Did something happen?”

“Nope,” you replied too quickly. Minho snorted.

“Yeah, she’s just finally learning to listen,” he said, giving you a smug look.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” you snapped, though you couldn’t hide your smile.

It became a pattern. He’d tease, you’d fire back. But beneath it all, there was something new—something neither of you could ignore.

Then came the scandal.

The leaked video of Hyunjin at a club with a girl hit social media like a bomb. Fans were angry, the company was scrambling, and the mood in the practice room was tense. No one talked, and even Minho, who always had something to say, was quiet.

It all came to a head one day when he lost it during rehearsal.

“Can you stop messing up that move?!” he snapped at Jeongin. “It’s not that hard.”

“Minho,” you warned. “That’s enough.”

He turned on you, eyes roaring with frustration. “Don’t tell me what’s enough.”

You felt your heart tighten in your chest. “I’m not telling you. I’m asking you not to take it out on them.”

He froze.

The room went quiet. Everyone glanced between you two like they were waiting for something to explode. Minho’s jaw clenched, his eyes dark and unreadable, but instead of lashing out again, he turned on his heel and left.

“Go after him,” Felix muttered to you.

“Why me?” you asked, even though you knew the answer.

“Because,” he said with a knowing look, “he’ll actually listen to you.”

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

You found him on the rooftop, leaning against the metal railing, his head bowed.

“Hey,” you said softly.

He didn’t look at you, but he didn’t tell you to leave either.

After a long pause, he spoke. “They work so hard,” he said, voice rough. “I just… I don’t want them to get hurt.”

Your heart ached. This was the Minho no one saw—the one who loved fiercely and protected his members at all costs. You stepped closer, your hands gripping the cold railing beside his.

“I know,” you whispered. “They know too.”

His head turned slightly, eyes meeting yours. You didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly, his hand was on your cheek, fingers warm against your skin.

“You drive me insane,” he murmured, voice so low you barely heard it.

“Right back at you,” you whispered.

And then he kissed you.

It wasn’t gentle. It was raw and unspoken emotions spilling out all at once. His hand cupped your face as you gripped his hoodie, pulling him closer, like you’d both been waiting for this moment for too long.

When you finally pulled back, breathless, he rested his forehead against yours.

"Don’t think this means you’ve won,” he said, grinning.

You laughed, eyes still closed. “I think we both did.”

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

ᯓ★ Send an ask or leave a comment if there's any fics or tropes you could recommend for me to write!

ᯓ★ Reblogs appreciated!

ᯓ★ taglist:

[dramascoop]

Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 7 & 8 Review | The Drama Scoop

Miss Night and Day: Episodes 7 & 8 Summary

In episodes 7 & 8 of Miss Night and Day, Mi-jin and Ji-ung seem to get closer. The episodes also indicate that Baek Chul-kyu is most likely the serial killer. Aside from that, we learn about the characters’ past and what ties them together.

The closing credits of episode 8 reveal that Ji-ung has feelings for Mi-jin. Aside from that, Lim-sun, Ji-ung, and Byung-duk suspect Baek Chul-kyu of being the serial killer. On the other hand, Chul-kyu appears to be targeting Lim-sun as his next victim. Our article, “Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 7 & 8 Review” contains major spoilers.

Need to catch up? Check out: Ep 3 & 4 Highlights and Review

Highlights Of Episode 7

After witnessing the online game scammer’s girlfriend attempting to drug Ji-ung, Mi-jin saves him by stopping him from drinking the beer.

We see Ji-ung and Byung-duk arrest the scammer and his girlfriend with the help of Mi-jin.

After Ji-ung overhears Mi-jin ranting about his ungrateful behavior, the two make amends and clear up their misunderstandings.

After some investigation, Ji-ung discovers that the club delivered drugs in the form of alcohol. This resulted in clients being molested.

Consequently, Ji-ung starts following the drug trail in search of the supplier.

Ko-won grows increasingly suspicious of Lim-sun. Consequently, he follows her to a gaming café and discovers Mi-jin with her backpack and keychain instead.

When Mi-jin notices a car following her, she contacts Ji-ung. However, the car stops following her at this point.

Lim-sun goes to an office party and gets drunk. Following that, she calls Ji-ung from Mi-jin’s phone number.

Ko-won steps in to help Lim-sun leave before she transforms into Mi-jin, implying that he knows the truth.

Ji-ung tracks and finds Mi-jin as she transforms from Lim-sun to Mi-jin, finding her hugging Ko-won.

Highlights Of Episode 8

When Mi-jin faints after her transformation, Ko-won and Ji-ung rush her to the hospital.

We learn that Mi-jin fainted after accidentally drinking Ko-won’s drink, which contained his anxiety medication.

Mi-jin confronts Ko-won about knowing her secret, and he promises to keep it to himself.

Lim-sun notices a young woman protesting her missing father outside the prosecution office. When she approaches the woman, it connects to Ji-ung’s missing person’s investigation.

At this point, several hints point to the serial murderer being Baek Chul-kyu.

Ko-won offers Lim-sun three million dollars for the favor coupon she received from the Chief Prosecutor. He uses this to become the prosecutor’s assistant, keeping an eye on and protecting Lim-sun (Mi-jin).

Lim-sun and former detective Mal-tae conclude that the missing victims had been collecting money prior to their disappearance.

Mi-jin goes to Ji-ung’s house and attempts to steal his missing person’s report. However, the two of them have a heartfelt conversation, and Mi-jin kisses Ji-ung.

Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 7 & 8 Review

Positives

The K-Drama has consistently excelled in terms of humour, and episodes 7 & 8 of Miss Night and Day are no exception. The antics of Mi-jin when she transforms into Lim-sun truly makes you laugh, whether she breaks into a dance or simply is out of place. Additionally, the bit where Mi-jin was ranting about Ji-ung while he was standing behind her was simply hilarious, contributing to the comedic value of the show.

The show’s romantic storyline, which includes Ji-ung and Mi-jin, is also quite charming. It’s particularly heartwarming to see how Mi-jin’s family treats Ji-ung, especially given that he never received love and tenderness from his parents.

Credits: Netflix

Negatives

While episodes 7 and 8 of Miss Night and Day excel at comedy and romance, the crime and supernatural storylines take a back seat. We predicted that the show’s attempt to juggle too many genres would result in it failing to do justice to some of them, and this is exactly what has happened. There seems to be so much going on in the K-drama that you’re not really interested in the serial killer storyline, despite the fact that the show focuses on it a lot.

Furthermore, Miss Night and Day appears to completely ignore the supernatural element, treating Mi-jin’s transformation as normal at this point. Why aren’t Mi-jin and Ga-young working harder to locate the mysterious cat? How did Ko-won accept Mi-jin’s strange transformation so easily? At the moment, the show appears to be lacking in this department. We hope it makes up for it in the upcoming episodes.

Miss Night And Day: Our Verdict

Overall, episodes 7 and 8 of Miss Night and Day provided plenty of amusing and heartwarming moments to keep us entertained and content. The K-Drama, however, does not appear to be doing justice to its crime and supernatural storylines. We hope that things improve in the upcoming episodes as the K-Drama does seem to have a lot of potential.

What are your thoughts on our article “Miss Night And Day (K-Drama): Episodes 7 & 8 Review”? Do you agree with our takes? Let us know in the comments below.

Thank you for diving into the world of dramas with us at The Drama Scoop! We hope you enjoyed our latest insights and reviews on Korean dramas. Your support and passion for storytelling inspire us to keep bringing you the best in Korean Dramas, Chinese Dramas, Japanese Dramas, and English Drama. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to share your thoughts with us. Happy watching, and see you in the next post.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: Miraculous World: London, At the Edge of Time

(Spoilers for those that havent seen it. and yes this will be my sort of Live reaction, with my thoughts at the end)

-Okay so Nooroo be sad and trying to appeal to this person's morality.

-Okay so I was wrong about them being Adrien, but they are... Blond Lila?

-Okay, so She was actually BOTH akumatized Villains. Not gonna lie, That is so expected I assumed one of them would be adrien. Damn

-Intro be dope though

-So they are playing some weird variant of chess.

-If I was kid Alix, Id be salty, I would never. win since the other versions of me KNOW all my moves.

-OH DAMN GRANNY BUNNYX! 70, damn she looks good for 70

-Oh they be fading, and they arent even phased. Because they know what will happen. Wow... kind of takes the drama out of this

-Oh cool, recap

-They dont even bother saying he was originally called monarch.

-Alix is so valid for that comment about them kissing

-"Gabriel makes his wish, history is still on course." Yep they are playing the Miguel O' Hara is right canon event bit unironically.

-Portals start vanishing. But the drama is gone because YOU KNOW Alix will fix it

-Oh there is a depressed Bugnoire. Confirmed that merge miraculous can still use powerups.

-She goes to London. Damn this is depressing, and sterile

-Bugnoire casual destroys the cell to free Kagami made me chuckle

-Marinette reflecting on what happened. talking with Gabriel

-"Adrien cannot find out."

TO THE SURPISE OF F***ING NOBODY!

-Kagami calling her out but then saying she will oblige her

-Oh they actually talking about Tomoe.

-Kagami wants to try and talk to her mom, which Marinette honors because... at least she isnt being a hypocrite here.

-Okay I know I am a bit nasty, but I do appreciate the time the scene is taking. its really building up the tension to this.

-Gorilla out of nowhere just like "Let me unlock it first." that made me chuckle

-I feel VERY CONFLICTED. Because on one hand, LOVE THE ANGST. Absolutely just perfection. Really milk that drama. But f*** do I HATE how this came about.

-Oh the Lie is actually pretty convincing. Oh look at how absolutely distraught Adrien is. Boy is f***ing wrecked.

-OH DAMN ADRIEN OUTBURST

-That Adrigami comforting.

-I want to love this absolutely heartshattering scene. Its beautiful, its angsty.

-Okay, you know what. I will hold my reservations until I actually finish.

-You can just see the absolute distraught face of Marinette. SHE HATES THIS. SHE ABSOLUTELY HATES WHAT SHE IS DOING. OH THAT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ANGSTY THING. Its slowly warming me up a bit, the finale was missing this.

-Oh damn, Nathalie knows Marinette is Ladybug. WELP, just another person that knows thats not Adrien.

-Oh damn, Ladybug monologue, while she destroys everything related to Hawkmoth, monarch, and his scheme. In a way, becoming his greatest accomplice.

-The press conference is full of a lies. Wow its starting to feel just like real life.

-Nathalie comforting Adrien, such a soft scene. Meanwhile Tomoe and Kagami are cold to eachother

-Marinette is at the train station

-That adrinette hug.... yea, thats the good stuff

-Im happy the kwami are safe.

-There is a lot of not talking in these moments. letting the music set the tone.

-And day becomes night, Marinette sleeps with Plagg and tikki by her side. Now she asks if what she did was right

-Is there a kwami of truth? Because if there is, I wonder what animal it is

-WAIT, She lied to Alya too? THAT I didnt see coming.

-And right there, we see when the special ACTUALLY Starts

-Okay the vest is funny

-The burrow has a slowed down time aspect, makes sense because of the whole time travel thing.

-So they have to take Marinette's Miraculous from when she renounced it. For a split second, I thought she was talking about the Kwami choice, but it was actually Origins. Which makes more sense

-So thats why Tikki becomes so sure of Marinette.

-She changed colors? Why thoough?! Granted I do prefer it to the original costume, but not as much as the lucky charm form.

-"There is no such thing as ghost." GHOST FORCE WOULD LIKE A WORD MARINETTe

-Basically she can phase through things like Kitty pride. And be invisible. So like a Ghost.

-Ladybug verses the Ghost akuma

-She cant touch them

-Calender. it means you have to go to a different time

-This special really likes hammering in that Ladybug's lie is wrong, yet at the same time NO ONE is offering her an alternative. So it feels like the special isnt really committing to the "Marinette is right" or "Marinette is wrong."

-"Sorry, you cant take the butterfly miraculous cause Canon Event." Yea this is getting repetitive

-So Time Stalker was there. Saw Ladybug was Marinette

-Yea, not gonna lie. All the clips showing the finale only remind me how much I HATE it.

-Gabriel f***s off to leave his son an orphan but gets to be with his wife. Thus getitng his wish forever and now Ladybug has to basically let it happen because F*** her in particular

-NATHALIE WITH A CROSSBOW!

-Nathalie telling the small crying teen who was willing to sacrifice HERSELF, that she didnt have to go that far. People often forget Marinette is a TEENAGER going through s***. Nathalie should have stopped Gabriel earlier

-That aside, all this special reinforced is that Gabriel is an idiot. He really could have won so much easier

-And thats how Time stalker found out

-Marinette figured out they were the same person, clever writing

-Super ghost and Super Spy dumb names

-I love Barkk. She is like "Dont be so sure"

-Man this special really retreads a lot of old ground a lot

-Miraculous Bug Noire

-So Bugnoire saying until they get the butterfly miraculous back. She cant tell him the truth.... Yea no. Thats dumb. I still find this very dumb.

-But the whole mini portal thing was funny to me. Why not just make a portal under them to pull them in.

-There we go.

-SHE HAS MORE OF THEM? Okay thats pretty clever

-"He or She?" if it wasnt present bunnyx Id assume she knew.

-The explanation on why Nathalie cant tell Adrien is also bulls**t.

-A wiseman once said, the "Truth hurts but once, but a Lie will ache forever" Marinette is basically setting up for worse

-I will say, the Choreography in these encounters is pretty cool.

-Okay the plan was clever

-Ladybug is apparently REALLY good at forging signatures. Are we sure Marinette isnt a future villainess?

-The Ladybug monologue with that funky beat was fun

-HEHEHE Lila Temper tantrum

-Poor Nooroo

-Well the plan worked.

-Bunnyx not being sad about having to stay as Bunnyx.

-Wait, so how come they can go ride dinosaurs if they cant mess with time?

-So bunnyx says "Hey its cool to lie as long as you own up to it eventually." Thats a fucking terrible lesson for kids to learn. I hope everyone reading this knows that

-Wait... is Chronobug dead?

-Nope, she is still alive

-Plagg is confused. But Tikki knows. Okay thats cute

-Marinette fixing the miraculous and upgrading them. Thats neat

-Marinette's logic for spreading it out makes sense at least. And the new hawkmoth doesnt know the heroes identities. Tomoe might though

-Okay, Plagg is cute.

-Ah yes, the Ladynoir

-There is that Hug. Thats that good stuff

-Chat noir's guilt and Ladybug's Guilt

-And then Lila's monologue at the end

___________________________________________________________

Now... How do I feel about this special?

I am torn.

On one hand, it did show that Marinette is feeling the effects of the secrets she is keeping. She is clearly feeling guilty about it. And the special does a LOT to justify what she is doing and never outright gives her a pass for it. I also LOVED that sweet succulent ANGST. Good stuff.

on the Other hand, some of the explanations are not good (like Adrien not finding out until after the butterfly is found? It makes no sense), and it hand waves a LOT of things. Not to mention, it does basically have Marinette, Kagami and Nathalie in this secret Cabal of secrets. Tomoe is basically not held accountable. And the whole Canon event thing and time travel basically means there is never any real danger. So it really takes the wind out of this.

But BUT, This special does at least imply that this secret will be the cause of tension, now the question is IF the show will actually deliver on this angst.

I dont hate this special as it does illuminate a LOT of what was missing from the Season 5 finale... that being said, I still hate the season 5 finale.

so its 6/10.

[queenshelby]

Yes! Mr Murphy (Rewritten)

PART 27: RESIGNATION

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Lots of Angst, Age Gap, Teacher x Student, Pregnancy Loss, Infertility

One week later

One week passed, and you finally left the hospital after missing work and school, putting you behind with the curriculum.

During this time, Emma was looking after you, calling in sick from work herself and even Nina visited you twice, once with Connie and once with Cillian, who politely waited outside.

Seeing him still bothered you, and you were not over the fact that he had slept with his assistant, who, you knew, had it out for him, and this did not make it easy on you. You were disgusted by the sheer thought of it, him pleasuring her the way he pleasured you.

You felt disgusted, and you wondered whether he enjoyed it. Did he want her? Was she better than you in bed? She was older, sure. But was she more experienced? The answer was probably yes.

After telling Emma about these thoughts, she told you to try and forget about him. Being an actor probably made him a player, and you may have dodged a bullet when he broke up with you.

“He is not worth your tears,” she reminded you before embracing you. She had been your best friend for life, and you knew she was probably right.

You had to forget about Cillian, regardless of how hard it was or how much you were still in love with him. He was twice your age as well, and he was famous, both matters which could create much trouble for you in the future.

***

While trying to forget about Cillian, you spent most of the weekend catching up on reading the play Enda Walsh had given you to prepare for, and this play, too, reminded you of Cillian.

It was one of his own, called Disco Pigs, and you knew that this was Cillian’s first ever on-stage performance after he had dropped out of law school when he was just 19 years old.

“Christ, why?” you cursed as you put the book aside for the night, and Emma, again, reminded you that this, too, would pass.

“Try not to think of him”, she told you, but this was easier said than done as you missed him a lot and wondered whether he missed you too.

***

After a while, you got some sleep, and then, the following day, you went to school early to address your dispute with James.

James, however, tried to avoid you, and it wasn’t until you asked him whether two could talk that he pulled you aside, and you had the chance to confront him.

“Save it. I won’t say anything to anyone,” James told you before you could say anything yourself. He was squirming, and his reaction surprised you.

“Great, but why the change of mind?” you asked, crossing your arms.

“Your boyfriend’s lawyer sent me a letter, but I am sure you already know that,” he told you, causing you to grin.

“No…well yes…maybe I did” You smirked while James shook his head in disbelief and told you he was embarrassed for you.

“I did see the article in the Irish Times, though,” James thus pointed out, explaining that your lover was a player, and you simply fell for his charm like a silly young girl.

“We aren’t together, James,” you felt the need to point out, but James simply shrugged it off and disappeared into the crowds. He no longer cared, and you found out later that day that he was seeing an old friend of yours.

***

Following your day at drama school, you finally went to dance school to teach the evening class. A new teacher had run the course in your absence, but you knew you could still supervise your students and review their routines even though you were not allowed to perform. You had not healed yet and were instructed to wait at least two weeks before resuming any exercise.

When you arrived at the facility, you were asked to see your employer immediately and wondered what this was all about.

You did not think that you had done anything wrong but had a bad feeling in the pits of your stomach as soon as you walked into his office.

Your employer had a stern look and asked you to sit down. A small manila folder was sitting on his desk, staring at you, and you could not help but ask whether you were in trouble.

“For a matter of fact, you are,” your boss said, and your chin dropped while anxiety filled your mind.

“What did I do?” you asked, thinking that it was because you were absent for the past week.

“It came to our attention that you had an intimate relationship with one of our student’s parents,” your employer exclaimed, and you inhaled sharply. Sweat was now building up on your forehead, and your hands started to fidget nervously. You did not know how to respond, and there was silence for a long minute.

“Of course, you have nothing to say to this, do you?” your employer asked, and you told him quickly that you regretted your intimate relationship with the student’s father.

“The problem is two-fold, Miss Y/LN. Firstly, Mr Murphy has a certain standing in the community, being an actor subject to much publicity. Secondly, he is not divorced yet, and we are, as you know, an institution funded by the Catholic Church,” your employer lectured you, seeing that the academy was attached to one of the best schools in Dublin, which, of course, being in Ireland, happened to be catholic.

“I understand, and I can guarantee you that this affair was short-lived”, you reassured your employer, who handed you a three-page document entitled “Non-Disclosure Agreement”.

“That may be the case; however, we have already found a replacement teacher for you, and your services here will no longer be needed,” your boss told you, to which you shook your head.

“You can’t just fire me,” you told him, but he begged to differ.

“I can because your intimate relationship with Mr Murphy constitutes misconduct in the workplace. But, I would much rather ask you to voluntarily resign and sign this agreement which will entitle you to redundancy pay of six weeks’ worth of wages,” your boss told you while handing you a ballpoint pen.

For a minute, you considered telling him to get lost. Still, then you read the agreement, which prevented you from speaking to the press about your relationship with Cillian and prevented him from doing the same. In addition, your employer could not issue you with a bad reference because of it, which you knew he would do if you did not sign and voluntarily walked away from your job. 

“You see, Miss Y/LN, neither us nor Mr Murphy has any interest in making this public,” your employer told you as you considered your options, taking your time.

“You have spoken to him?” you asked, surprised. You did not expect Cillian to take likely to such a threat.

“No, but I have spoken to his assistant about it, and she concurred”, your boss informed you, causing you to laugh.

“Of course, she concurred”, you chuckled before putting pen to taper. You knew you had no choice, and, at least this way, you were getting paid.

After signing the agreement, you packed up your things and left, tears streaming down your face. You loved teaching these excellent students you had, and now, all of this was coming to an end.

You were not even given a chance to say goodbye to your students, and, just as your boss’s secretary saw you out the door, some of the parents stared at you, being escorted out of the building like some criminal.

You wondered who did this to you, and, in the end, it did not matter. Your short-lived fling with Cillian slowly destroyed your life, and you regretted every moment.

It was your fault. Getting involved with him was wrong; now, you must face the consequences.

***

Unfortunately, you were not the only one to suffer from this, and just as the class commenced without you, the parents began to gossip while their children started to listen.

According to one of the mothers, she had been told by your employer’s secretary that you were fired because you slept with one of the parents.

“He is married too,” she whispered, causing Cillian’s wife, Lorraine, to chuckle.

“How typical of these young women. She is probably after money,” Danielle whispered without knowing who it was you had slept with.

Only Connie decided not to engage in the conversation, telling the others that she did not like to spread unsubstantiated rumours, and it was then that Danielle tried to catch her out.

“It may have been Dermont”, she teased, causing Connie to laugh.

“Uhm, if my husband could land the girls’ dance teacher, I would even go so far as to congratulate him on his achievement, but no, it is not Dermont. I am sure of it,” Connie chuckled, seeing that Danielle was trying to get under her skin.

“Maybe it was Cillian?” another one of the mothers then said, now teasing Danielle, who, too, began to laugh and brushed it off.

“Doubtful. My soon-to-be ex-husband is shagging his assistant, just as I had suspected all those years. Also, this rag of a dance teacher is not his type,” Danielle spat, and it was obvious to the other women who were present that she was still somewhat upset that her husband had moved on with his assistant.

“I suppose we will never find out, so how about we just leave it at that,” Connie said as she began to notice the children listening in; even though Nina was not nearby, she did not want this kind of gossip to be spread amongst the students.

***

Following a rather eventful and unpleasant evening at the dance academy, Nina threw her bag and shoes into the boot of her mother’s car, and it was apparent to Danielle that her daughter was angry and confused.

Danielle knew that Nina liked you and, with that in mind, tried to comfort her in the best possible way.

“It’s all right; you will get used to having someone else teach you. I know you liked Y/N, but she resigned, so there is not much you can do about it,” Danielle explained as they got into the car and drove to Cillian’s house, where Nina would stay for the next three nights.

“She did not resign. She got fired,” Nina pointed out angrily while playing around on her phone and texting you to see whether you were all right. After turning fourteen, she had recently joined Instagram and Facebook and added you as a friend across these platforms, occasionally sharing links with you to dance performances she liked.

“What makes you say that?” Danielle wondered before asking Nina to look at her and get off her phone.

“Oh god, Mum, I am not stupid. I heard the gossip,” Nina told her mother, who was worried about what she may have heard.

“So you know what happened?” she thus asked, gauging the situation.

“Yes, I know what happened, but I don’t know why,” Nina told her mother before accusing her of being the culprit. “Did you tell the academy? Because it seems like something you would do to get back at Dad. It’s just like the stupid court orders he had to get to see me,” Nina spat, telling her mother how upset she had been with these events.

“What are you talking about?” Danielle asked as she pulled the car over in shock.

“What I am talking about is that you did not like the fact that Dad was dating Y/N, so you had her fired. Because all you care about is yourself,” Nina accused, causing her mother’s chin to drop.

“Your dad was dating your dance teacher?” she asked, and Nina quickly realised she screwed up. Her mother did not know, causing Nina to curse and cover her mouth with her hands.

[ramblingsfromthytruly]

11th September 2024, Wednesday

day 17/50 productivity challenge

💤: 5hrs - oh it's gonna be a long day, i have a full day of school, yikes!

🕒 7 a.m. - and so it begins

morning skincare

extended duolingo streak

practiced playing keyboard

🕒 8 a.m. - left for school, it's a full day *sigh*

we couldn't skip the first 2 classes of p.e. because we had this fitness test thingy. apparently it's for proof of disability or lack for cbse assessments. the first running test i fucking skidded and fell and scraped my palms and knees. if i was a few years younger i would've been SO embarrassed but atp idc. at least i got lots of walking/jogging in. also this made me realize i NEED to start running more. reminds me that we're prolly gonna register in cbse loc for boards after mid terms

no caffeine so no energy so i slept through my physics demo class :(

good thing i've never missed a deadline in biology b4, because today i told my teacher i forgot my classwork (we had to submit today) and she didn't scold me i hadn't even completed it

(last class was free yay, so i started) studied + made notes biology ch: cell: the unit of life while eavesdropping on my classmates about some drama

🕒 3 p.m. - back home. overall review of my time at school: shit/10

yapped with my mom about politics, our unhinged neighbors, etc

cleaned my scratches with antiseptic liquid while being an overly dramatic lil baby about it

planned the rest of the week

completed chemistry lab record

folded laundry

took headbath

cleaned out email + photo gallery

went down for the visarjan and food!

played a game of chess and won yay

read newspaper

studied + made notes biology ch: cell: the unit of life

night skincare

🕒 1 a.m. - went to bed with the satisfaction that today wasn't an entire waste after all <3

🚰: 4 glasses - need to start consciously drinking more water. i only included this today for the first time because i was too embarrassed to show that my prev days were little around 2-3 glasses

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

These days, Sam Heughan is a fan-favorite presence on the small screen, but he wouldn't have garnered mainstream awareness if it hadn't been for his breakout role in the hit television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander book series. Over the last decade, Heughan's performance as a swoony Scottish hero and self-professed wife guy on the Starz series has propelled him to certified heartthrob status — but with Outlander finally set to conclude with its eighth and final season at a date yet to be determined, it's no wonder Heughan has been taking other projects, perhaps in an effort to step out from the long shadow that Jamie Fraser still casts.

On paper, The Couple Next Door, Starz's six-part psychological thriller based on the Dutch series Nieuwe Buren, has a lot going for it, as messy relationship dynamics play out against the idyllic backdrop of suburbia — and at first, the show gives every indication that it's ramping up to an erotic, twisted climax. But despite best attempts from Heughan, along with his main co-stars Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark), Jessica de Gouw (Arrow), and Alfred Enoch (How To Get Away With Murder), the series frustratingly pivots away from its most intriguing elements in favor of weaker B-plots, ultimately resulting in a hectic finale that relies too heavily on outdated, regressive tropes to drive its biggest conflicts.

What Is 'The Couple Next Door' About?

Primary school teacher Evie Greenwood (Tomlinson) and her partner, journalist Pete Thomas (Enoch), are looking for a fresh start in more ways than one. Moving to a small suburb in Leeds feels like the right next move for the young couple, especially once they run into their next-door neighbors, PC Danny Whitwell (Heughan) and his wife, yoga instructor Becka (de Gouw), while attempting to lug their belongings into the new house. Evie is drawn to the beautiful young couple from the start for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being her attraction to Danny. However, as someone who grew up in a very conservative, religious household, Evie's eyes are soon opened to her neighbors' more non-traditional lifestyle.

As the four spend more and more time together, Becka and Danny disclose the fact that they're non-monogamous, even if they make a point of always "playing" together with other couples. As Evie starts to entertain the idea of experimentation, Pete's reservations about opening up their relationship lead to rising tensions. Yet their drama isn't the only one that plays out within this seemingly sleepy community. As a somewhat lowly traffic cop with little authority and mounting bills to pay, Danny begins to accept late-night jobs that don't exactly fall on the legal side of things — right around the time that Pete starts digging into local corruption for his latest exposé. As for Becka, she's built a successful social media presence, but she's also attracted a creepy real-life stalker in the process, one who isn't willing to go away without throwing a wrench into her picture-perfect existence.

'The Couple Next Door' Begins as a Better Show Before Pivoting Into a Worse One

Over the first half of its eight episodes (all of which were provided for review), The Couple Next Door has a lot of promise, especially when it focuses on the evolving and tangled relationships between its main foursome. Yet the series is also majorly underserved by its pacing, as it spends a significant amount of time devoted to building up that tension and then ultimately fails at offering a more nuanced depiction of attraction and obsession given the sheer number of other characters and storylines that have to be juggled. The problem is that none of these secondary threads are even remotely as interesting as the main one; every scene spared for Becka's stalker, or Danny's off-the-books job, or any side character for that matter, feels like a missed opportunity to return to the emotional rollercoaster playing out between the two leading couples. Cutting at least one of these B-plots may also have resulted in a better lead-up to the finale, which climaxes in a way that feels extreme, even for these four.

Some characters are afforded better treatment — in many instances, de Gouw's Becka feels like one of the only mature adults in the room — but others seem to regress in increasingly drastic ways purely for the sake of drama. Unfortunately, The Couple Next Door joins recent films like Nightbitch and Babygirl in giving one of its female characters a backstory steeped in extreme, cult-like religion that feels perplexing at best and reductive at worst in justifying sexual exploration. Evie's ignorance about polyamory could've been filtered through a simpler, more straightforward premise of a woman embracing her innermost desires, and the blurred lines that result when she finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn't. But Tomlinson's character is done the biggest disservice over the course of the season; as Evie's fixation on Danny intensifies, she becomes even more of a caricature, with her later scenes devolving into stereotypical '80s erotic thriller territory — and not in a way that can be considered complimentary. The show's men don't fare any better; while he does have excellent chemistry with both Tomlinson and de Gouw in the scenes that call for it, Heughan is given very little to do other than handsomely brood. Meanwhile, Enoch, in welcome contrast, initially gets to play a more level-headed and less alpha presence, but, like Evie, Pete's characterization annoyingly falls prey to jealousy and rage.

In many ways, this show would have been better off solely revolving around these objectively attractive people and the palpable tension that stems from them debating whether they should all sleep together — and to a point, The Couple Next Door delivers on that front. But the season quickly becomes derailed by way of less intriguing subplots, disappointing character regression, and poor pacing that struggles to build to a satisfying finale. It'd be one thing if there was a promise for more at the end of it all, but with the show having already been renewed for a Season 2 featuring a completely new cast, there's no opportunity for this version of The Couple Next Door to continue. Given how it all wraps up, though, maybe that's for the best.

The Couple Next Door premieres January 17 on Starz.

Posted 12th January 2025

I'd say the reviewer writing about TCND is one of many people who must have already watched the entire season 1 before it releases next week and wasn't impressed. But long story short, it's not looking good, and we have been talking about this series since 2023, and the facts don't change 😮 This is harsh.

You feel like there's been something disingenuous and specific about the way STARZ has been selling and presenting the show. TCND's drama is solely about and related to the Outlander actor, to the point the author refers to: "Sam Heughan's Steamy psychological thriller series" wouldn't have bothered me so much if the network hadn't gone to great lengths to push a campaign to promote Sam Heughan (STARZ's “eye candy” 🍭) as the only lead actor in TCND when the series has 4 lead actors and the other 3 actors are rarely mentioned even though it's Jessica De Gouw who stole the show.

STARZ sent Heughan to the TCA Press Tour Summer 2024 in Pasadena CA — at the TCA Television Critics Association to promote the series on a solo tour to achieve consideration alongside the critics. On this occasion, Starz’s actor presented Outlander and The Couple Next Door, alone. When normally a press tour includes the casts, writers, directors, and producers of several series across different networks and streamers. We haven't seen the results.

The Couple Next Door is a copy based on the Dutch television series New Neighbours “Nieuwe Buren” (The Swingers in English) which was also based on the book of the same name by Saskia Noort. The Dutch version is still broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK and you can see and compare in the series the difference between a barely simmering and boiling.😏 It seems Eleanor didn’t want nudity with sexual scenes, but Sam is the only one nude in the scene getting it done just to get it out of the way. So, None of those scenes are as realistic as in real life. She and Heuhgan can’t deliver in this drama-thriller the erotic thrill of actual danger.

TCND season 1 is a boring old formula - sex sells! From episode 1 we already knew where this was heading. A somewhat predictable tired plot. This was not entirely filmed in the UK and the place related is not Leeds 🇬🇧 Little research was done.

If STARZ wants to be cutting edge then give a drama that doesn't always rely on sex or Sam Heughan to bolster the viewers ' interest. In UK the critics were equally tired of this unimaginative tropes.

Pretty sure this drama-thriller will be received anxiously by Heughan’s fans, the kind of viewers that suspend all reason and logic and then give glowing reviews with many stars ✳️✳️✳️ Bit of a stretch eh?

Sunday 12th January 2025 The Couple Next Door ranked as the #798 most popular show online and was the #7 most popular TV show on Channel 4. The current engagement score for The Couple Next Door is 0.92. In this position, TCND season 1 will be launched this week on STARZ in America