These shocking plot twists made for some of the most exciting, suspenseful moments in drama viewing. Here are our favorites from this year! But be forewarned — this blog contains spoilers below!
Pride and Prejudice— ‘Why did you kill my little brother?’
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: At the beginning of this exciting currently airing series when Yeol Moo (played by Baek Jin Hee) comes to work as a trainee in the Seoul prosecutor’s office — where Koo Dong Chi (played by Choi Jin Hyuk) works — she tells Dong Chi she came specifically to that office to get “revenge.” The storyline then unfolds that Yeol Moo and Dong Chi used to date, so the viewer assumes that it’s just a past relationship gone bad. But then at the end of Episode 4, Yeol Moo asks Dong Chi the shocking question, “Why did you kill my little brother?” while brandishing half of Dong Chi’s old report card where a child had written “Save me”! When you learn how Dong Chi is connected to Yeol Moo’s brother’s death at the beginning of Episode 5, it is one of the most tragic, tense moments in drama history! But the drama doesn’t just stop there. The twists and turns that intertwine the lives of all the characters keep unfolding in suspenseful layers. OMG!
FAN REACTION: While most dramas take their sweet time to build to the climax, “Pride and Prejudice” is the most adrenaline-rush, seat-clenching series right from the get-go! And it keeps throwing curve balls at us that we didn’t expect. Is the person who appears to be bad really bad? Is the person that we think is good secretly bad? The show keeps us guessing at every turn. And we can’t wait to see how it all comes together in the end!
Birth of a Beauty— A Head-to-Toe Revenge Plan
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: After a bad car accident, Sa Geum Ran seeks out Han Tae Hee (played by Joo Sang Wook), thinking he is a doctor, to transform her appearance so that she can seek revenge on her husband’s family for years of mistreatment. From head to toe, Tae Hee crafts Geum Ran into his idea of the perfect woman and transforms her into the beautiful Sara (played by Han Ye Seul)! The transformation is so shocking — so complete — that her former husband, Lee Kang Joon (played by Jung Gyu Woon), doesn’t even recognize her and falls in love with the new her! But when Sara learns that her own husband may have caused her “accident,” Sara’s world goes into a tailspin and she has to decide exactly what she wants to to accomplish with her revenge plan!
FAN REACTION: You can’t help but feel a storm of anger from the very beginning of this drama because of the way Geum Ran’s in-laws treat her — worse than a common servant as they constantly belittle and mock her. After her transformation to Sara, Geum Ran’s revenge is ever-so-sweet and shall be served cold! We are rooting for Sara every step of the way as she fights for justice in this unexpectedly addicting drama!
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Wen Bin, a poor fishmonger from the hillbillies, is bribed to impersonate a complete stranger, William (both played by Xie Kun Da), because of his strong resemblance to the man. When William gets into a traumatic kidnapping accident that incapacitates him, he is at risk of losing his company, so William’s people want Wen Bin to carry out William’s functions as CEO. But here’s the shocker — after taking such good care of William while he is debilitated, Wen Bin’s mother is shoved by William in a fit of hallucinogenic rage, causing her to hit her head and fall into a coma! Can Wen Bin continue to live in the shoes of the person who has devastated his own family?
FAN REACTION: If faced with the same situation as William, would you want a complete stranger living your life? How bizarre would it be to have a complete stranger live in your house, wear your clothes, act like you, and even hang out and interact with all of your friends and colleagues? Uhm, no thanks. And what’s worse, Wen Bin’s own life is being ripped apart by the person he is trying to help. This is a classic situation of being stuck between a rock and a hard place!
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Jae Yeol (played by Jo In Sung) and Hae Soo (played by Gong Hyo Jin) seem like the perfect quirky couple in “It’s Okay, That’s Love.” Sure, he’s a cocky celebrity novelist with a brother who wants to kill him, and she has serious intimacy issues because of her adulterous mother. But who doesn’t bring a little baggage into a relationship, right? WRONG. The biggest shocker in this great drama is when we learn that Hae Soo isn’t the only one dealing with psychological baggage. It turns out Jae Yeol’s young, aspiring-writer friend, Kang Woo (played by D.O.), is actually a figment of Jae Yeol’s imagination! Jae Yeol created Kang Woo as a coping mechanism to deal with his childhood trauma of an abusive stepfather. Watch the dramatic plot twist scene!
FAN REACTION: Kang Woo came off as an odd character in the series, appearing at unusual times times and also disappearing just as mysteriously. But NO ONE even had the slightest idea that he was Jae Yeol’s hallucination! The moment the writers of this show revealed this plot twist, hell must’ve frozen over just a little bit. I must’ve screamed “WHAT!?” and “DAEBAK” to my screen several times until this epiphany sunk in. But if you think THAT was bad, strap yourself into your seat tighter because you will be in for one crazy ride for the rest of the exciting series!
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MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Happiness FINALLY comes to Yao Qi (played by Lan Cheng Lung) and Ji Wei (played by Amber An) when they announce that they will be getting married. But, of course, it can’t be that easy in a drama! Yao Qi suddenly gets hit with his father’s debt — which is an estimated $9 million! In the midst of this tailspin as Yao Qi tries to figure out what to do, he decides to ask permission from Ji Wei’s mother to postpone the marriage for two years! What mother would say yes to that?
FAN REACTION: As if 12 episodes wasn’t long enough to FINALLY get this couple hitched, why bring on the misery of falling into debt? Yao Qi surely needs a break or two. Despite of it all, it is admirable how Yao Qi wants to have a clean slate and start fresh when he does get married to Ji Wei. But what woman would be able to put her life on hold for two years — and what parents would bless a wedding for their daughter with a man who is saddled with an exorbitant amount of debt? That, in the drama world, translates to at least 10 more episodes! Sheesh!
Jang Bo Ri Is Here— Two Women With Hopelessly Interconnected Lives
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: A rich family loses their daughter, Bo Ri (later played by Oh Yeon Seo), when she goes missing after a car accident. She ends up losing her memory and being raised by Min Jung (later played by Lee Yoo Ri) and her mother. Meanwhile, Min Jung pretends to be an orphan so she couldbe sponsored by a rich family, which happens to be the real parents of Bo Ri! Years later, Min Jung has a daughter out of wedlock and Bo Ri finds the baby and raises her as her own daughter. But when Min Jung finds out that Bo Ri is actually the real long-lost daughter of the rich family, she does everything imaginable to keep her life and prevent Bo Ri from taking it away from her. Then the emotions flow when Bo Ri realizes that her adopted daughter is the biological child of her arch nemesis!
FAN REACTION: It is so hard to keep up with all the lies, twists and turns Min Jung gets away with to maintain her luxurious life, but the moment when Bo Ri finds out the truth about who Bi Dan’s birth mother is, your heart can’t help but skip a beat. How do you handle that sort of truth when the person you hate the most is the mother of the child you’ve been raising as your own?! It is just so wrong on so many levels, it’s mind-blowing! But this drama wouldn’t be as fun and nerve-wracking if it wasn’t for Min Jung’s ex-boyfriend, Moon Ji Sang (played by Sung Hyuk), who seeks revenge and unties ALL of Min Jung’s lies, one by one. Ahhh, refreshing!
Grandpas Over Flowers Investigation Team— Losing 50 Years of Your Life!
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Four police detectives are investigating the strange murder of a man whose old body doesn’t fit his 43-year-old identity. When they come across a large aquarium-like container with two human research subjects, all four detectives jump into the tank to free the men. But three of the “flower boy” detectives — Lee Joon Hyuk (played by Lee Soon Jae), Han Won Bin (played by Byun Hee Bong) and Jeon Kang Seok (played by Jang Gwang) – emerge from the tank having aged 50 years, while their partner Park Jung Woo (played by Kim Hee Chul) remains unchanged in his 20s! The grandfather detectives have to solve the murder mystery or they may never find a way to return to their young selves!
FAN REACTION: How ironic is it that three young, handsome detectives end up aging 50 years whilst investigating a mysterious case where a similar event occurred? “Freaky Friday” gone bad, anyone? Nevertheless, there is some nice eye candy for everyone to enjoy in this funny drama!
She’s So Lovable— Of All the Women Out There...
FAN REACTION: If there’s a pink elephant in a drama and no one is talking about it, it has got to be this one. Anyone find it bizarre that Hyun Wook and Se Na fall in love with each other? I’m sure feelings do develop when you’re caring for your ex-girlfriend’s sister, but people have got to know their boundaries!
Doctor Stranger— Long-Lost Girlfriend Not Lost at All?
MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Park Hoon (Lee Jong Suk) is raised in North Korea for most of his life after his father, a gifted cardiothoracic surgeon, is sent there for a top-secret operation and is not able to return to South Korea. Hoon becomes an accomplished chest surgeon, like his father, and manages to escape to South Korea and goes to work in the prestigious Myeongwoo University Hospital. There, he crosses paths with the anesthesiologist Han Seung Hee, who bears a strong resemblance to Song Jae Hee (both played by Jin Se Yeon), Hoon’s girlfriend back in North Korean whom he wants desperately to come join him. Han Seung Hee strongly denies that she’s Jae Hee, wanting to keep her secrets and to protect Hoon, but their love for each other soon reveals the truth of her identity!
FAN REACTION: And the truth shall set you free! Finally, just when our curiosity was nibbling away at our patience, Jae Hee appears in front of Hoon, proving his suspicions were true! Seung Hee is Jae Hee! Now, while not all things can stay pink and peachy for long, will they both be able to live in peace and safety in the South? Ahh!
The Library— A Discovery That Comes Too Late
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FAN REACTION: What do you do when you find out that a person who had feelings for you and left you all these sweet notes is no longer alive? What if HE had been the one? Of course, that is a bit exaggerated, but it leaves you with all these “what ifs” and your heart can’t help but sink a little when you know you can’t do anything about it now. What would you do?
Which major plot twist was your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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