Summary
Episode 1 shows how the rich live while also bringing an intriguing start to a murder mystery by introducing a dysfunctional, wealthy family set up as a conglomerate. It’s a good start for the k-drama series.
This recap of the Netflix k-drama series Mine season 1, episode 1 contains significant spoilers.
Well, after recovering from Vincenzo that previously booked the Netflix weekend spot, we are now treated with another weekly K-Drama titled Mine. The theme sold to us is “family dysfunctionality,” so let’s hope this is not the type of series that starts dramatically well but then turns into a snooze fest like Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce).
The opening scene brings a nun entering the police station, breathless, claiming there has been a murder — she states she saw it. The scene then flits to someone falling to their death from a balcony, is in a prestigious home, and there’s blood everywhere. It’s definitely a trippy opening as episode 1 then brings the audience to “60 days earlier”, with the narrator discussing an honorary chairman who loved art and nature and hired an architect to create his mansion and a family estate — the dysfunctional wealthy family mystery begins.
A new maid and tutor
Mine episode 1 introduces Kang Ja-kyeong — she’s given background into the home that she will be living in — she’s there to be recruited as the new tutor. Meanwhile, Kim Yu-yeon is introduced and is asked to live at one of the other homes as a maid, working for Jung Seo-hyun – she crosses paths with Kang Ja-kyeong as they both make their way to opposing houses. The episode shows plenty of wealth in this family, two months before a fatal, bloody incident.
Kang Ja-kyeong enters See Hi-soo’s home, and See Hi-soo gives her a tour and food. She gives a low-down on her son, stating that he can be rude sometimes.
So that’s the basic setup of the premise.
The luxurious family dinner
Episode 1 then shows the viewers how wealthy this family conglomerate is.
A rather prestigious family dinner is organized, with the chefs and house staff providing a luxurious outside setting, with violins and a tranquil but atmospheric feeling. Seats are markedly set before family members arrive — there’s clearly plenty of divisions within this group. In true wealthy fashion, each member has their own server as they eat. In the distance, in a noticeably pink outfit, Kang Ja-kyeong looks at the event before checking out the new home she will have to get accustomed to. She nibbles on the food casually, and she bumps into Kim Yu-yeong.
Han Suk-chul’s announcement
At the dinner table, See Hi-soo is asked plenty of questions about her son Ha-joon; family members try and tell her how to raise him, which is evidently the elephant in the room — there seems to be an apparent tension aimed at See Hi-soo because she’s not biologically the mother. Finally, the father of the family, Han Suk-chul, stands up and explains this will be the last time they will be celebrating Kim Ma-ja’s birthday (she’s evidently no longer alive) and that he will be gifting one family member something important. His staff brings out the blue diamond on a necklace, but then one of the servers whispers something to him, and he has to sit down in shock. He tries to walk away from the dinner table, but he collapses.
The question is, who was he going to give the blue diamond necklace to? Han Suk-chul is now in an induced coma, so the family discusses who will be the temporary president. His seat was barely cold.
A potential HR problem
Jung Seo-hyun’s mother goes mental at Kim Yu-yeon for dropping wine bottles — one of the staff members (Ju-hee) records it, so Jung Seo-hyun pays her off and says she cannot disclose any secrets. Jung Seo-hyun warns her mother and tells her not to talk like that in front of maids. Ju-hee is fired, and on the way home, she’s distressed about the situation.
Struggling to adjust
With no surprises whatsoever, in this pressurized environment, Kim Yu-yeon is struggling to adjust to her life as a maid in the wealthy family conglomerate — Ms. Joo tells her to take it seriously. Later on, she accidentally naps in a room, but quickly wakes up — she comes across a family son (Soo-hyuk) that returns to the estate (there’s an immediate sexual tension between); she’s asked to introduce herself to Jung Seo-hyun’s mother, but when she does, she’s aggressively berated by (she clearly does not care about HR issues and treatment of staff). At dinner, Soo-hyuk tells the family that he has no choice but to follow whatever the family says, and he seems irked by it. The conversation turns to marriage, and it looks like the family has a suitor lined up for him, a woman from another wealthy family.
Marriage is a business transaction in this family.
A shaky start for the maid and the tutor
Kang Ja-kyeong looks after Ha-joon, who has an upset stomach — she pricks his finger to help him out — the father is not pleased, but Seo Hi-soo tells the new tutor not to worry about her husband’s dissatisfaction. Kim Yu-yeon rings Mother Emma after and tells her the rich family is strange — Emma tells her that families like that are never satisfied, and they live in hell — she claims to know them very well.
The ending
In the middle of the night, Kim Yu-yeon struggles to sleep, so she goes for a walk; she bumps into Soo-hyuk. He knows she napped in his room and asks if she’d like to swap. Meanwhile, See Hi-soo catches Kang Ja-kyeong wearing one of her dresses and flaunting in it — she claims one of the maids left it to the side, apologizes, and takes it off.
See Hi-soo sees Kang Ja-kyeong’s again later on, and the tutor once again apologizes. See Hi-soo tells her to go to bed to avoid any misunderstandings. Kang Ja-kyeong agrees and walks off humming, walking around like she owns the place. This character is strange, and it will be interesting to see her purpose in the story.
The episode ends with Mother Gemma asking, “does anyone deserve to die?” but she’s confident the person that did die deserved it in someone else’s eyes.
Mine episode 1 shows how the rich live while also bringing an intriguing start to a murder mystery by introducing a dysfunctional, wealthy family set up as a conglomerate. It’s a good start for the k-drama series.
