The latest K-drama from JTBC, We Are All Trying Here, continues to deliver raw and honest moments about mental health and personal struggles. Episode 3 aired on April 25, 2026, and it shows two very different people trying to understand themselves and each other.
The episode focuses on Hwang Dong-man (Koo Kyo Hwan), a struggling film director who believes he is a bad person, and Byeon Eun-a (Go Youn-jung), a talented producer hiding her emotional pain behind a tough exterior.
Their connection grows deeper through an “Emotion Watch,” a device that tracks feelings. This gadget helps both characters see themselves in a new way.
A Strange Device Brings Dong-man and Eun-a Together
The episode begins at the AS Group Company Retreat. Dong-man finishes his work quickly to pick up the new Emotion Watch model. Eun-a is already at the retreat. The watch is supposed to analyze emotions a person might not even know they have.
The pair go for coffee together. They talk about their moods and what the watch labels them as. Eun-a keeps her watch hidden because she does not want anyone at her work, Choi Film, to know about her psychological struggles.
Dong-man openly calls himself a “destructive person.” He explains to Eun-a that when he saw a car accident, his watch showed the word “excitement.” Bad news and other people’s failures trigger positive feelings in him. He once danced around when his friend Gyeong-se got bad reviews for a movie.
Eun-a does not judge him. She listens quietly. Then she tells Dong-man that he seems like someone with “a thousand doors wide open.” She shocks him by saying he is “cool.” Nobody has ever looked at him in such a positive way before. His watch turns green, showing that her words moved him deeply.
Past Wounds and Ego Clash in Painful Confrontations
Dong-man starts standing up for himself. He sneaks into a bar where The Eight, the group that always mocked him, are hanging out. He confronts Gyeong-se directly. For the first time, he does not stay quiet.
Gyeong-se faces his own problems. His latest movie is failing. Early reception is not good, and theaters are not showing it as much as his previous films. He becomes obsessed with negative reviews. He even prints them out and reads them while hiking in Jirisan.
Dong-man admits something shocking. He wrote many of the harsh reviews that Gyeong-se has been reading. He tells Gyeong-se that a third of the reviews he “choked down” were written by Dong-man himself. Gyeong-se gets very angry. He calls Dong-man a “nobody” and says his work is vulnerable and out there for everyone to judge.
Meanwhile, problems grow between Jun-hwan and Eun-a. Jun-hwan received a grant for a screenplay. But Hye-jin, who reviewed his work, noticed that someone else helped him write it. Eun-a helped him, but he did not give her credit. When Eun-a confronts him, he insults her. He even wishes death on her. Her nose starts bleeding as she holds back her pain.
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Painful Realizations Change Both Dong-man and Eun-a
Eun-a’s health gets worse. Her nosebleeds happen more often. She goes to the hospital. She admits that when these nosebleeds happen, her whole body hurts “as if it is being torn apart.” She also has issues with her mother. She cannot even say her name, only spell it out.
Dong-man reflects on his time with The Eight. He knows he never truly fit in with them. Being around them always made him tense. He tried to talk more and act cheerful to calm his nerves. But his watch showed the word “fed up” during those moments. He realizes he was forcing himself too much.
The episode ends with a major turning point. Another car accident happens near Eun-a. Dong-man sees her and runs toward her in panic. This time, his watch does not show excitement. It shows the words “shocked,” “flustered,” and “worried.”
For the first time, Dong-man realizes he is not a monster. He is not a destructive person who only feels good when bad things happen. He feels real concern for someone else. The watch confirms that he has human connections and feelings.
Go Youn-jung delivers a quiet but powerful performance as Eun-a. Her character struggles silently while trying to appear strong at work. Koo Kyo Hwan shows the many layers of Dong-man, a man who convinced himself he was bad but is learning he can care about others.
We Are All Trying Here episode 3 is now streaming on JTBC and various streaming platforms for international audiences.
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