Summary
When the Stars Gossip introduces one final thing we’re supposed to care about in Episode 15, but it’s too little too late.
Like many people, I can’t wait for When the Stars Gossip to end. And while that might sound a little harsh, don’t worry about it, since I firmly believe that the show itself can’t wait to end either. Episode 15 – the penultimate outing, lest we forget – is pretty compelling evidence of this, as the previous episode was before it (and, if we’re being frank, as the episode before that was, too.
I remember the early days of this K-Drama when the weird stuff was a little charming and the raw constituent parts at least seemed interesting, so in a way, it’s lamentable how badly all of it has ultimately come together. You can still occasionally see flickers of a better show, too, which is a shame. But it is what it is.
Let’s just take stock here – the supporting characters have nothing to do, the third wheel in the core relationship has no real character and hasn’t since the beginning, somewhat negating the point of a love triangle in the first place, moving away from the space setting has sorely limited the potential for even contrived suspense sequences, and anything that could be deemed halfway interesting on the level of basic character dynamics has just been oddly sidestepped.
I know what you’re thinking – I’d have probably complained about that stuff if it was here. And you’re probably right. But I’d still have preferred it to be here either way because it would have kept these late episodes from feeling so empty and reiterative. It would definitely help to know more about Go-eun and the authenticity of her relationship with Ryong, and it would have rounded Eve out a little if she’d have grappled with Dong-a’s infidelity more openly.
The primary point of tension remaining in Episode 15 of When the Stars Gossip is Ryong’s fate following the exposure of what he was working on up on the station. Now, on the one hand, this is a good excuse for some of the other characters to come down on his side to try and finesse him a less severe consequence. But on the other hand it also brings a lot of the core problems into starker relief.
For instance, the motivation for several characters is tied into protecting the MZ Group over Ryong’s reputation, but there are no real stakes in this greater-good angle because Ryong is unequivocally the “good guy” in all this so the logical position for everyone – including the audience – is to support him. We see Eve do that, same with Go-eun, and even Kang-su throws himself on the fire somewhat, but it just feels like there’s only one reasonable viewpoint here.
And I’m not buying Ryong’s self-pitying stuff in response to Go-eun’s efforts to get him a lawyer. If he thinks he’s not worthy of that kind of support then I’m inclined to agree, since the lack of development in his relationship with Go-eun in the first place means that we don’t really know how much support he deserves or not. There’s a big empty space where the characterization should be.
A lot of the back half of this episode is about setting the table for the finale, with only a couple of core things to consider. After a two-month time skip we learn that Eve is pregnant, which was teased a few episodes ago, but by this point, Ryong is looking at a two-year prison sentence – suspended for four years – to accompany his hefty fine and the revocation of his medical license. Eve is also looking at losing her job.
So the concern is suddenly the baby. There’s a bit of a suggestion at the end of When the Stars Gossip Episode 15 that its heartbeat is a little too fast, but the bigger question is how Eve and Ryong will be able to support the kid given their respective circumstances. I’m sure all that will be ironed out to some degree, but the fact that most of the finale is presumably going to be devoted to something that has only cropped up in the penultimate episode tells you everything you need to know about how things are going for this show.
