Summary
“Breath” is another strong episode, treating a risky subject with (for once!) an appropriate amount of sensitivity.
This recap of Tomorrow season 1, episode 10, “Breath”, contains spoilers.
Yesterday’s episode of Tomorrow was pretty solid, but it did have the advantage of being about a very good boy. Today’s episode of Tomorrow is also very decent, and this time in a way that I didn’t expect, especially with the show’s history of dealing insensitively and inconsistently with big topics. Tomorrow seems to be turning a corner. But is it too little too late?
Tomorrow season 1, episode 10 recap
Anyway, this case concerns sexual assault, with two potential victims rather than just one. It requires a sensitivity that is actually stated outright, and I was relieved to see “Breath” embrace that. Cha Yun-Jae and Cha Yun-Hui are twins, and the latter was assaulted, with her attacker only serving two years. What’s more is that Ryung-gu’s mother took her own life after being gang-raped, so it’s a deeply personal case on multiple levels.
Yun-jae blames himself for the attack after refusing to take Yun-hui home on the night it occurred, which he believes sealed her fate (and also earned him a slap from their father). The familial discord is compounded by a healthy dose of victim-blaming and a lopsided justice system. Yun-hui has begun self-harming to dull the pain, while Yun-jae has become obsessed with meting out his own, proper form of justice.
Yun-hui’s worsening desire to commit suicide is strongly rooted in being blamed for her own assault, both by the public and her own family. This is a common and sensitive enough issue that I was deeply worried that Tomorrow was even going near it, but it allows Ryeon to relate to Yun-hui, which is a strong character moment. She even goes about getting her more meaningful justice the correct way. The despicable attacker gets his just desserts. It’s a cathartic resolution.
This, I feel, is exactly the kind of show that Tomorrow has been striving to be since the beginning, and while it has taken a long time to get to this point, I’m really glad that we’re seeing something positive out of it, even at this later stage. The character moments here work, the subject is sensitively and poignantly handled, and the whole thing achieves a meaningful resolution that doesn’t earthquake the show’s own fiction too much. Sure, there might be some logical quibbles if you’re really looking for them, but for once, the overall impact is worth putting aside any nitpicks. Hopefully, this run of good form continues.
You can stream Tomorrow season 1, episode 10, “Breath”, exclusively on Netflix.
