Second half better than the first . LDH vs. CMK - COUNT ME IN THIS SELFISH LOVE GAME

After about a week to let my initial thoughts about this drama settle and reach some kind of a conclusion about how I feel about it overall, I approached episode 3 with ~some~ hesitation because (1) I reallyyyy wanted to like it, and (2) I wanted it to get better from its predecessor episodes and not repeat the things I didn't like about the last two episodes.

Well bad news is, it did. Awkward conversations that don't flow well, humor that doesn't mesh and is overdone (someone please give the secretary an actual personality and better facial expressions), and cringeworthy sequences that make me minimize my screen until they're over.

I was just about to quit the series in the middle of episode 3 because I just about had it with the weird and CORNY AF dynamic between Lee Do Ha and his secretary. That, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why LDH was attracted to Choi MiKa. Yes, it's adorable the way he smiles at her when she's not looking. He acts pretty much the opposite when she IS looking (God tell me why), and despite how cliché that is, it's cute.

But what does he see in her?! How does this cynical, wounded, traumatized and anxiety-ridden chaebol start liking an unsuccessful musical actress out of the blue? What makes her break his dry spell regarding love and relationships?

Well, turns out I asked that question too early. Or in vain. Love often has no reason, and as the episode progressed, I found myself caring less about it anyway. Things take a super interesting turn in the second half of the episode; as LDH battles his burgeoning feelings for CMK, his secretary points out the fact that he's never liked anything for more than 3 months. Ah-hah! CMK has to be a temporary muse, LDH reasons. He'll just have to drink in her presence as much as possible and he'll be over her in no time! Meanwhile, CMK and her BFF plot to seduce LDH so she can use him for as long as possible to buy her more time to live. It's cruel and I'm surprised it's being treated with so much blasé in the drama, like it's the most OBVIOUS solution to her problem at the moment lmao.

But the moment both LDH and CMK decide to play this game of 'use-and-discard' with each other is the moment my brain decided to forget all the glaring faults the drama had presented beforehand and get on board for good. So both of you want to spend excessive amounts of time with each other for completely selfish reasons and expect to forget each other after that? Good one. But also, COUNT ME THE HECK IN.

In this otherwise cliché plot of rich stuck-up man meets bubbly poor girl, the high stakes of their relationship is what makes this drama stand out as fresh and engaging compared to its classic counterparts. The second FL, despite being visibly cunning and having all the makings of a classic evil-jealous-fiancé-heiress second FL, is strangely slightly likeable and I actually look forward to the drama she'll be stirring up. After watching a string of bad-ass and self-assured women as protagonists, LSK's Choi Michaela feels a bit soft, but so far I appreciate that she isn't necessarily a pushover and her actions are reasonably driven by a desperate need to live longer.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the second half of the episode more than the first half. The power-packed confession at the end of the episode left me breathless and anxious for the next episode. Strangely, LDH's grand statement about how he wants to kiss her and sleep with her to get over her should've made him sound like an extreme asshole but it didn't. And the fact that CMK agreed just makes me excited about the impending train wreck and how hard they're both going to bring down each other when they fall in love for real. My only hopes for the rest of the series is that they attempt to explore what exactly makes CMK tick LDH off and show a more nuanced portrayal of their love. I don't have very high expectations. So show, just give me a good time and don't make me cringe too much <3

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