[REVIEW] MBC TV series "Miss Ripley" - First Episode

MBC TV series "Miss Ripley" - Monday/Tueday 9:55 p.m.

'She was a woman with a beautiful smile who taught me the joys of life,' was what two men confessed of one woman in the start to TV series "Miss Ripley." The drama then spent up the entire episode showing what a cruel life that woman has led her whole life. Jang Miri (Lee Da-hae) uses her might to run away from her life as a hostess in Japan. But life turned out to be no better in Korea where she carries only the sad memory of being an orphan. She continued to receive the cold shoulder at job interviews, being addressed as “you there in the middle” instead of her name and even gets sexually harassed, just because she does not have a college degree. Thus, escaping from the low-class life of Japan proved to be no guarantee for her life anew in Korea for there stood a sturdy wall that is too high for someone as penniless as Miri to climb over. Amidst the harsh reality she could never escape and things that keep happening in the worst possible direction, the only thing Miri learned was to keep her guard up and trust no one.

But aside from Miri’s eyes that flashed with spite time to time despite looking tired of life “Miss Ripley” failed to present a moment that would leave a lasting impression. The two men who had everything life can offer, simply fall for Miri at first glance, either during the short moment she takes off her cap or rides the elevator and such scenes were followed by series of burdensome and radical incidents around Miri to give a good picture of her painful and desperate situation she is in. Nonetheless, it has least helped the viewers understand how much she is in need of something to turn around her situation. The will to create a new reality for herself and to lie to the whole world in exchange for it, already existed within Miri. It was attested by her expression when Myung-hoon, in response to Miri's thoughtless words, said “an elite is welcomed anywhere.” And we know through what happened in this country, that lies like those can be explosive enough to shake society. The lies have already surfaced there is no turning back now. In that case, the only thing left for “Miss Ripley” and Jang Miri is to keep running forward.

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Reporter : Yoonina (TV Critic)
Editor : Heidi Kim heidikim@