Queen of Ambition Revisited

     What’s there to say? This is undoubtably one of the darkest dramas I have yet to view. There are few redemptive elements. For a while I thought that Yunho’s character, Baek Do Hoon, would somehow be able to lift the spirit of this drama, but in the progression of time, the character of Baek Do Hoon became just as disillusioned and just as starved for retaliation as the other characters. In a sense he is justified, after all, how hard it must be to love someone as fiercely as he loves Joo Da Hae, only to have them betray you and manipulate everyone that you hold dear. Still, there is never merit in allowing someone to pull you down to their self-seeking level. I was sad to see the death of Baek Do Hoon. He had just discovered the joy of true sonship.

     I have been enjoying the character of Baek Do Kyung, heiress, exec, and mother. Of all of these lying, non-grace-filled, unforgiving persons, I somehow believe that she has  a truer, more altruistic motive for her actions. This drama emphasizes the harboring of secrets that we all engage in while not realizing that it is the fear of discovery that brings us all down. Society does not forgive or forget easily, but it is better to admit and atone for your mistakes than to live your life dodging around corners or hiding in the shadows afraid that your misdeeds will come to light. I believe that the decision made by Do Kyung to keep Do Hoon’s birth circumstances a secret is based upon the needs of her family to remain in power, and to provide an unchallenged heir for the family chaebol empire.

     If there is conceivably a woman as evil and grasping as Joo Da Hae, with a character that thinks exclusively about the ways and means to her own goals–I certainly would never want her as a friend or acquaintance, and certainly not as a family member. I tend to prefer loyal, sympathetic, if not empathetic, people around me. I choose to love from my heart, not always my head, and I try to merge those two parts somewhere in the middle.

     But, I digress….

      Queen of Ambition is a compelling drama. You do not necessarily like the characters, but you sit down to watch it anyway. This reflects the talents of the writer, producer, and director, but most especially the actors. Jung Yunho, I applaud your interpretation of this many faceted role, and I hope for more challenges in your future.

I only pray that there is some element of regret that emerges in the midst of all this bloodletting.”

O’ what a tangled web ….

Narrative Credit: Momma Cha @ jyjfantalk

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