I’ll admit I was late to the “When the Phone Rings” train at the end of 2024. I waited until five episodes were out before I started watching. And even 1-2 episodes in I wondered what all the buzz was about. People were going nuts for the show and I couldn’t figure out why. But I kept on with it, and sure enough by the time I was done with Episode 4 I wanted to keep going, and at the end of Episode 6 I was just like everyone else: I watched that last scene of Episode 6 several times because it was so amazing.
By Episode 9 I couldn’t take it anymore and found an English translation of the Korean web novel online so I could see how the whole thing would end. And I think that’s why my opinion is higher on the last episode of this show than 99% of the opinions I’ve read online since the show ended a couple weeks ago.
“When the Phone Rings” was written by Kim Ji-woon, and co-directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu. It starred Chae Soo-bin as Hee-Joo, a sign language interpreter with selective mutism (i.e., unable to talk due to past emotional trauma) who is married to Sa-On (Yoo Yeon-seok), a former war correspondent now political spokesperson in the President’s office. It is an arranged married by their two families and after three years the couple has been living separate lives until one day Hee-Joo is kidnapped, throwing their lives into chaos.
Because the show was only 12 episodes, it meant every episode counted and there was very little filler, which I appreciated. The result was a tightly-wound, intense and satisfying melodrama with plenty of mystery and romance thrown in. There’s a term in kdramas called ‘makjang’ which refers to any show that has an outlandish plot or overly dramatic scenes or characters. This show certainly had plenty of those things, which (for me) made it all the more enjoyable. The show starts off very quickly with the outlandish plot even with the surprise ending of Episode 1 where we find out that Hee-Joo actually CAN talk – and talk quite well at that – when she decides to begin blackmailing her husband for a divorce through the burner phone she manages to steal from the kidnapper when she is able to escape.
One might think that’s the main plot of the show, but in actuality the show deftly begins introducing other characters who may or may not have nefarious plans for Sa-On and Hee-Joo, as well as a cold crime murder case at an orphanage. And as those character and subplots filled out, the show continued to hold viewers (and me) in its grasp, with internet sleuths analyzing every scene for tidbits on how the story may unfold. Who are the twins? Who is the kidnapper’s master? Why is Hee-Joo a selective mute? Why was Sa-On determined to marry Hee-Joo instead of In Ah?
As all of the answers to those questions (and more) started to flow in each week, I continued to thoroughly enjoy the show. A friend of mine and I convened on the phone every week to discuss plot points and what we thought would happen next. Once the show reached Episode 9, as I said earlier, I found the online English translation of the web novel and read what I found. First I noticed that much of the sensual content from the web novel was removed from the book.
Sure, at some point Hee-Joo and Sa-On admit their feelings for one another and the romance of the story kicks in, but before that, once Sa-On discovers that it’s Hee-Joo he’s talking to on the phone, not the kidnapper, the phone calls the characters have in web novel gets more than a bit racy. The lingerie trick Hee-Joo does in the show is pale in comparison to some of Sa-On’s antics in the web novel phone calls.
I also benefitted from reading how the story ended well ahead of the infamous final episode of the show. The episode that caused kdrama fans across the world to claim it as one of the worst endings to a show in years. I’m one of the few that disagree with the discontent. Was it rushed? Yes. Shoehorning Sa-On disappearing from Hee-Joo’s life with no explanation and then having her travel to the fictional war-torn country of Argan in the last twenty minutes to find Sa-On only to be kidnapped again – yes it was ridiculous. But the show’s whole storyline for the previous 11 1/2 episodes was melodramatic, soapy and wild, so why not the last twenty minutes, too?
As for the acting, everyone involved in the show was fantastic, from our two leads to the kidnapper, portrayed by Park Jae Yun in his first major role. His only previous credit is a bit part on Season 3 of “Dr. Romantic.” He portrayed the perfect level of madness, bitterness and heartbreak needed for his role. Chae Soo Bin and Yoo Yeon Seok, in the lead roles, had great chemistry as they balanced the need to show emotional distance from each other as well as emotional yearning for each other. And as they became more vulnerable with each other, that connection was downright palpable.
In the end, did the show stick the landing? Maybe not. Episode 12 was mishandled and could have been much better if they didn’t spent only 20 minutes on the Argan situation. Maybe super-size the last episode to 90 minutes with 20 minutes of Hee-Joo’s “I miss him why did he leave” angst, 40 minutes of Argan antics in order to provide better explanations for why Sa-On left, followed by 30 minutes of them being happy, fulfilled and finally at peace. And let’s face it – the last episode also would have been much better with the absurd laughter-inducing shot of Hee-Joo standing in the middle the Argan forest in designer clothes and headscarf as her only form of camouflage as she galivanted around the rebel territory trying to find her estranged husband.
But I’m willing to forgive the last 20 minutes of the show because the first 11 hours and 40 minutes were tremendously well done and thoroughly enjoyable.
My rating: 3.9 out of 5.0 stars
