The opening episodes of JTBC‘s new drama, Love Me, show a family already fractured by past pain being broken apart all over again by a sudden tragedy. Over two emotionally heavy episodes, we meet the Seo family, whose members have grown distant from each other under the weight of unspoken guilt and resentment . Their story begins not with warmth, but with a tense family dinner that ends in irrevocable loss, forcing each character to confront their deepest regrets .
The Seo Family’s Fractured Dynamics and a Fateful Dinner
Before any tragedy strikes, Love Me carefully introduces a household filled with quiet desperation. At the center is Seo Jun-kyung, played by Seo Hyun-jin, a 36-year-old OB-GYN who has consciously chosen a life of solitude . She lives in an empty apartment, uses the television for light, and believes she is content being alone, despite friends who suggest otherwise .
Her father, Seo Jin-ho, portrayed by Yoo Jae-myung, embodies the fatigue of a lifelong caretaker. On the day of his retirement, he endures gossip and comes home to care for his wife, Kim Mi-ran (Jang Hye-jin), who lost a leg in an accident and has sunk into a deep depression . He books a couple’s retreat, clinging to the naive hope that a change of scenery can fix their profound sadness . The youngest, Seo Jun-seo (Lee Shi-woo), is an aimless graduate student more focused on his girlfriend than his own future, quick to judge his sister for neglecting their parents while being forgetful himself .
The family’s strained dynamic comes to a head during a dinner meant to celebrate Jin-ho’s retirement and the parents’ anniversary. The gathering is far from celebratory . Old wounds reopen when Mi-ran, in her pain, states she should have died in the accident. Jun-kyung, unable to handle the tension, escalates the argument, shouting that she never wants to come home because of the situation . The dinner ends with hurt feelings all around. Later that night, Jin-ho discovers that Mi-ran has died in her sleep from a hemorrhage, making the bitter argument the final memory they all share of her .
Grieving Alone: Guilt, Anger, and Isolation After Loss
Episode 2 shows a family grieving separately, each member trapped in their own bubble of pain and regret . For Jun-kyung, the loss is compounded by a crushing guilt tied to the original accident. She remembers she was the one who asked her mother for something, sending her back out on the road where the crash happened . In a moment of raw despair, she calls her mother’s old phone number, sobbing, “I told you not to come.” Her father, Jin-ho, listens from the other end and tells her it was not her fault, but his words cannot penetrate her guilt .
Jin-ho performs his duties at the funeral with somber dignity, noting bitterly that few people came to visit his wife when she was alive . Only in private does he allow himself to collapse, falling to his knees in the woods to cry . He decides to go on the non-refundable Jeju Island trip he planned with Mi-ran, alone. Jun-seo interprets this as a betrayal, accusing his father of celebrating their mother’s death, which leads to a physical confrontation . Jun-seo then turns his anger on Jun-kyung, calling her a coward who ran away from their family .
His accusation triggers a pivotal memory for Jun-kyung. She recalls a past fight after Mi-ran returned from the hospital, where her mother’s withdrawal felt like a silent accusation. Jun-kyung asked if she was being blamed and left when her mother screamed at her to go. Looking back, she is haunted by the wish that she had stayed . This pattern of running from pain defines her present life.
Tentative New Connections and Unsteady First Steps Forward
Amid the grief, the drama introduces sparks of new connections that suggest the possibility of healing. Jun-kyung’s cheerful neighbor, Ju Do-hyun (Jang Ryul), a music producer, sees through her lonely facade. He observes that she doesn’t just look lonelyโshe looks like she is “trying to be lonely” . They go on an awkward first date where his perceptive questions cause Jun-kyung to retreat. However, after reflecting on her habit of running away, she knocks on his door to apologize and ask if they can start again, slowly . Her plan immediately goes off course, as she wakes up in his bed the next morning .
Other family members also experience shaky new beginnings. On his solo trip to Jeju, Jin-ho meets his tour guide, a woman played by Yoon Se-ah, and finds his heart unexpectedly stirred by a comment she makes . Meanwhile, Jun-seo deals with his own turmoil, suspecting his girlfriend, Yoon Sol (Kim Sha-na), of cheating. After a confrontation, they reconcile, but Jun-seo later sees her flirting with another man on social media, sending him into a rage .
As Jun-kyung narrates near the episode’s end, “Life never lets blessings or sorrows linger too long because nothing stays by our sides forever” .
This line captures the central theme of Love Me‘s opening: the relentless forward march of life, even when hearts are broken. The Seo family is now left to navigate their fresh grief while burdened by old scars, with new people entering their lives who may help them finally face the past they have all been running from .
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Love Me airs two episodes every Friday on JTBC at 8:50 PM KST. For international viewers, the drama is available for streaming with English subtitles on Viki as a Viki Original series .
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