Soundtrack #1: Episode 4 (Final)

by mistyisles

As the adage says, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and our lyricist is becoming increasingly, painfully aware of what her feelings of fondness really mean. But will she be able to muster the courage to act on those feelings before it’s too late?

EPISODE 4 WEECAP

As the seasons pass, Eun-soo is keenly aware of Sun-woo’s absence, thinking about him constantly and sighing over the fact that his replies to her messages are few and far between.

But glum as she may be feeling about missing him, she has a lot of exciting career things happening, including an offer to write for a particular singer that she’s dreamed of working with for years. It’s a huge milestone, and one that she and Sun-woo once half-joked about the way people do when describing a shoot-for-the-stars kind of goal. Her friends celebrate with her, but Sun-woo doesn’t respond to her message telling him the news.

Meanwhile, the composer she’s been working with asks her out again, and Eun-soo finally tells him the truth: she’s not interested, and she’s been lying all this time about liking the wine he always orders for them.

Much as I found this subplot uncomfortable, I liked this conversation, especially Eun-soo’s confession that she thought if she kept drinking the wine, she’d eventually come to like it, but it never tasted any better. It applies to a lot more than food and drink preferences, and it shows that Eun-soo is learning to communicate honestly instead of trying to say what she thinks other people want to hear.

And thankfully, the composer is cool about it. He accepts her rejection, and has no intention of letting it taint their professional relationship, either. He even stops himself before ordering beer to replace the wine and first asks if that’s okay with her.

Of course, the biggest truth Eun-soo has to learn to communicate is her feelings for Sun-woo, which she’s now painfully aware of. After a tarot reading from her mom tells her to follow her heart and seize the opportunity that is coming to her, she finally works up just enough courage to text him that she has something important to say and wants him to call her.

Again, that message goes unanswered… because Sun-woo’s back and wanted to surprise her. They meet by chance outside a flower shop, and when he steps outside holding a giant bouquet, there’s a breathless moment where it almost seems like this is just another flashback. But no, it’s really him, home for a couple of weeks in between photoshoots.

Turns out, the bouquet isn’t for her, though. Instead, it’s a birthday gift for their friend at the restaurant, whose husband has enlisted Sun-woo’s help preparing a surprise serenade. It’s a cute moment, but it reminds me that this show was advertised as music-centric, and we could have had moments like this throughout these four episodes instead of just here at (almost) the end.

In some ways, this episode felt like a mirror of the first: instead of focusing on Sun-woo’s pining, we’re limited to Eun-soo’s perspective as she wavers in uncertainty. She wants to confess, but even though Sun-woo is back, he feels more distant than before.

To hammer this distance home, a female photography assistant is brought in to give Eun-soo a dose of jealousy. The assistant has an obvious crush on Sun-woo, and has apparently been asking him to date her for some time. Sun-woo isn’t interested, and tells her as much, fully aware that Eun-soo has overheard the whole conversation.

As he walks her home, Eun-soo timidly asks what if – hypothetically, that is – she were to ask the same thing his assistant did? What if the two of them tried dating, just to see what might happen? Sun-woo, perhaps thinking she’s not serious, says matter-of-factly that they can’t if they want to remain friends, just like she’s said all along. It’s exactly the opportune moment her mother’s cards foretold, but Eun-soo lets it pass.

She regrets it immediately, and as Sun-woo’s next departure date looms near, Eun-soo decides to grab her last chance. She borrows their friends’ restaurant for the evening and presents Sun-woo with her unfinished lyrics, explaining that she couldn’t finish them because he was gone.

In another sweet moment of honesty, Eun-soo opens up about how much she’s been suffering since he left, adding that what hurts the most is realizing he’s been suffering like this for the past eight years. If Sun-woo is surprised that she already knows, he doesn’t show it. He completes the lyrics in her notebook with a line confessing his love, and they seal their confessions with a kiss.

Overall, as I look back on it, there wasn’t really anything surprising, new, or particularly special about Soundtrack #1. It probably would have been better off condensed into movie form, or at least released all at once for marathon viewing.

And yet, despite all that, I still found it a sweet, enjoyably easy watch for the most part. Every shot was gorgeous to look at, and some moments genuinely took my breath away. And there was a kind of comfort in its predictability that made it even easier to just settle into the cozy atmosphere and relax for a while.

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Soundtrack #1: Episode 4 (Final)