SECRET RELATIONSHIPS EP 8: SORRY, THIS IS MY WORST TAKE BUT I JUST NEED THE CRAZY
This is the hardest goodbye.
I just can’t deal with the fact that it’s over. Like, how? What’s next? I genuinely don’t know what to do with myself.
So, was this crazy, or was it FUCKING CRAZY?
OF COURSE, the kidnapper was Jaemin. I mean, that man is DERANGED. And I totally called it - “UNTIL WE DIE NATURALLY OR I KILL YOU” was his note (lol in fact lmao) - but I never imagined he’d take it that literal right in that moment. I was SCREAMING every time he said something unhinged or did something even crazier.
What this show did so well is how it built Jaemin’s insanity knot by knot. When his smile disappeared the moment he turned away from his students. When he kept causing problems between Daon and his family. When he paid someone to take Daon’s naked pictures. When he paid someone to hurt Daon’s sister. We should have known this would happen. This was inevitable. And yet, watching him lose it completely was so much fun. But honestly, ninety percent of this belongs to Kim Hoyoung. HOLY FUCK, sir. You were a sight to behold, and I’m committing to every single series you’ll ever act in.
Now, what about my actual obsession, my one true love, Suhyeon? Guys, don’t come at me. I know that man should be in therapy and nowhere near a human being (but I can fix him, okay??). I AM AWARE. My love is ninety percent Cha Jung Woo, ten percent for THE BEAUTIFUL CHAOS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. The series is over. Just let me live.
I don’t know how I feel about Suhyeon freezing and even stepping back when Jaemin charged at Daon. Like, the show wants us to call him a coward (and Jaemin DID, which is just… wow), but this man almost MURDERED a guy for trying to assault Daon. He beat him with his bare hands. What I actually think happened is that the writers needed an easy way for Suhyeon to finally let Daon go. That’s why I’m conflicted - because, yes, on-screen, he’s a coward, and obviously Daon deserves better, but it feels like a cop-out for his character. Suhyeon deserved another kind of realization that he’s lost Daon, not just freezing up and letting Jaemin of all people call him out. UGH.
Also, um, maybe - like how are we normalizing throwing yourself in front of a knife for someone else? Like, I get it. I get the symbolism, the sacrifice, the whole “kill me instead” moment. But. Is this really a requirement for love now? Because I cannot deal with this being a standard. YES, I KNOW IT LOOKS LIKE I’M JUST MAKING EXCUSES FOR SUHYEON. I AM AWARE. This is my last post on this series, guys. JUST BEAR WITH ME.
At this point, I can finally acknowledge the manhwa now that I’ve read it. Manhwa-Suhyeon? Less violent but still problematic. That forced kiss scene still happens (there is even some sex!). But there’s an undercurrent of emotions between him and Daon - something that never quite went away. Which makes their final separation even more painful.
And this also makes so much more sense when we think about the contract. Both in the series and the manhwa, Jaemin tells Daon that he rejected him because he knew Daon had always been in love with Suhyeon. The contract was Jaemin’s entire plan to stop their love before it ever started. But in the show, this deep love feels more like Jaemin’s delusion, whereas in the manhwa, it’s actually true. What Daon felt for Jaemin wasn’t even remotely close to what he felt for Suhyeon. AND THAT IS MY VINDICATION. 😭
So, I think the show did Suhyeon and Daon’s final goodbye dirty. In the manhwa, you feel the hurt. Even though Daon knows he won’t end up with Suhyeon, there’s still so much pain in their parting. In the show? We barely even see Daon react. And that undermines the entire reason Jaemin pulled his contract stunt in the first place. IT WAS BECAUSE DAON LOVED SUHYEON ALL ALONG. 😭 But I know most people won’t care about this as much as I do - so I’ll just sit here and suffer in silence. Apologies for the rant.
Of course, the best scene in the entire finale was Jaemin and Suhyeon’s confrontation at the police station. A fucking masterclass in acting from both Kim Hoyoung and Cha Jung Woo. I think I’ve rewatched that scene at least five times now. And honestly? I’m still impressed that Suhyeon managed to grab Jaemin and lock them in a room despite being surrounded by cops. LOL. Suhyeon, you crazy, perfect bastard, I love you. 😭
And then, of course, we get the happy ending - Daon and Seonghyeon are together, Suhyeon is finally free of his obsession (and sad, yet always hot), Jaemin is locked up where he belongs. What more do you need?
I did enjoy the kisses and the softness, but for me, the show ended the second Jaemin and Suhyeon walked out of the scene and took all the crazy with them (pls don’t kill me).
DEAR SECRET RELATIONSHIPS, I LOVED YOU SO. GOODBYE. 💔💔
