Summary
Haewon is finally waking up to the truth but will she listen?
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Reflection of You season 1, episode 7, contains spoilers.\
Read the recap of the previous episode.
This episode was intense and Shin Hyunbeen is an acting powerhouse. She makes you feel everything, the raw emotions, and she translates them into feelings. Her character, Haewon, has been deeply hurt by the two people she trusted the most. Yes, you might think she’s insane or obsessed but she’s just hurt. From the previous episodes, we learned that she didn’t have an easy life growing up and found solace in her art. Then, add Heejoo and Woojae into the mix — she’s ruined and her life took a 180-degree turn.
Reflection of You season 1, episode 7 recap
We pick up at the end of the sixth episode — where Woojae interacts with his son, Hosu. Heejoo doesn’t approve of this and pulls him away from Woojae. Confused, Woojae asks, “why are you so scared of me? Did something happen between us? Tell me so I can be careful around you.” At this moment, it’s clear as day that he’s lying. When Hyungseong asks him about why he came to the baseball tournament, he mentions he wanted to see whether he’d like baseball and didn’t know the family would be present. But, the scene flashes back to Woojae looking at a poster, with their family on it, advertising the event. So, he knew but wasn’t being transparent about the truth. He’s messing with them and I love it. He doesn’t have all his memories back but we can infer that he knows something is going on.
Meanwhile, Juyeong and Haewon meet at the cafe. Juyeong mentions how they met Woojae at the exhibition and Haewon is shocked, she didn’t know this. Ri-sa’s outside and spots them together then instantly walks away. Upon spotting Lisa, Haewon comes out and talks to her — they talk about Juyeong and the exhibition. “The sculptor is my husband”, she says, which shocks Lisa. Lisa thought she was single the entire time until Haewon cleared things up, “He fell in love with someone else for a while,” clearly referring to her mother. If only she knew! At this point, I’m ready for Lisa to find out about her mother’s affair because she’s the only character that acts morally superior.
Hyungseong and Heejoo drop Woojae off at his house. As Hyungseong drives off, Haewon is blocking the car from moving. It’s here we sense Woojae’s true emotions. Heejoo leaves the car, only to have Haewon spill a drink on her. Deserved — payback from the previous episode. It’s clear that Haewon wants to fight but Woojae gets in the middle of the fight. He instantly checks on Heejoo first, seeing if she’s okay instead of checking up on his wife, who he hugs afterward. If this wasn’t another sign for Haewon to run, I don’t know what else is. She’s hurt and upset — her husband woke up from his coma and still doesn’t seem to have interest in her.
At home, Lisa looks through Woojae’s journal as Haewon’s words run through her head, “he fell in love with someone else for a while”. She scribbles the sketches out of frustration. I think this scene was well crafted and highlights the significance of Lisa’s character — she’s been trying to figure out what the flower from Ireland was called, she’s been troubling her parents by visiting Haewon and Woojae. The screenwriters are sizing her up to be an influential character for the series and Kim Sooan portrays her perfectly. On social media, Lisa’s character is disliked but I love her.
As for the couple, Woojae explains that the Jeongs’ gave him a ride with good intentions. Haewon’s not convinced and questions “why do you keep running into them? That’s even stranger — she might say something to make you hate me.” And there it is, I don’t know if insecurity is the most appropriate term but she’s worried about what he thinks of her, she cares about his opinion so much now that she has him back.
Haewon’s moment of truth shone throughout this episode. “Why would I hate you because of something they say,” he questions. He mentions that they’re doing just fine as a couple only for Haewon to burst his bubble. “No, we’re not fine. I’m just pretending to be okay. Honestly, I’m not okay at all.” In this scene, Shin Hyunbeen tugs on your heartstrings with her monotonous expressions — Haewon finally confesses to him and I think this was necessary for her to come back to reality. But this wasn’t enough. Lisa keeps putting Heejoo under pressure by mentioning the heath. “I think I saw him there. I remember seeing him there”, referring to her childhood memories in Ireland. Heejoo’s trying to dismiss it and mentions that it’s her father and not Woojae. But of course, Lisa remains unconvinced.
Haewon finally got a new job at the exhibition, meaning she’ll be around Heejoo and Woojae on a regular basis. Heejoo’s in conversation with a previous buyer who mentioned that her painting style has changed and questioned what happened in her life. She explains that she’s influenced by the people around her life. Once the buyer leaves, Haewon interjects and says “I liked your old pieces more because of Woojae’s influence. But I’m glad to see you’re happy again because you must not be lonely enough to steal someone’s man again.” I love that Haewon is tormenting her, reminding her of the affair because Heejoo constantly suppresses it. But, the constant reminders seem to hurt her more than it does Heejoo.
After making a sale from his art, Woojae sends the money to Haewon who suggests they have a wedding. They were married legally but never celebrated their marriage. “I want to show people that we’re married. I want everyone to know.” Is she convincing herself or trying to seek people’s approval? He’s stunned but seems to go along with it for her sake.
“The world is so unfair. So is love. It takes two people to fall in love. Once it ends, one of them can walk away. And when the other one is in pain, they’re considered obsessive or clingy.” Haewon is ranting to Seonwoo in the confessional room at the church. It seems like the writers are trying to foster a relationship between them. But, as always we know she’s hurt and can’t even resent Woojae. She’s just waiting for him to tell her everything after leaving for years without an explanation. “If you were dead, it wouldn’t have been as painful.”
The ending
In the end, we learn that they take a visit to her grandfather. In bed, they discuss the wedding and honeymoon and how they want to visit the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. “Standing way up there, who do you think of?” Haewon asks tiredly but receives no response. As for Woojae, he doesn’t sleep and goes for a walk. He ends up gazing out at the sky on the rooftop of an abandoned building in the rain, searching for his answer — who does he think of? He trips on the wet stairs and latches onto a soaking wet Heejoo who catches him and they look into each other’s eyes.
I just want Haewon to free herself from both of them, yes get your revenge but don’t hurt yourself in the process. She still loves Woojae but at what cost? You may label her as insane but she’s just hurt.
What did you think of Reflection of You season 1, episode 7? Comment below.
