The brand-new dark comedy thriller K-drama Bitter Sweet Hell released episode 1 on Friday, May 24, 2024, on MBC TV. The first episode introduces the audience to the two central characters, No Young-Won (Kim Hee-Sun) and her mother-in-law, Hong Sa-Gang (Lee Hye-Young). It further showcases how their family may initially seem normal and happy, but they all have secrets.
Episode 1 of Bitter Sweet Hell focuses on someone threatening and blackmailing Young-Won. Soon, a terrifying incident takes place in the family. Young-Won’s father-in-law, Choi Go-Myeon, passes away after getting struck by a massive rock. Later, Young-Won finds out a dark secret about her deceased father-in-law. She learns that he is the one who framed her father in a criminal case in the past that led to Young-Won’s father taking his own life.
K-Drama Bitter Sweet Hell Episode 1: Kim Hee-Sun learns a shocking truth about her father-in-law
Bitter Sweet Hell episode 1 begins with Young-Won driving through a snow-clad area. Soon, she arrives at a spot where Sa-Gang has been waiting. The scene ends right there, creating suspense for viewers.
Then, the episode shifts to a different time, much earlier, when Young-Won appears to be living a healthy and happy life with her family. She is a well-known psychological counselor with a loving husband, Choi Jae-Jin (Kim Nam-Hee), a doctor, and a highschooler son.
Meanwhile, Sa-Gang is a renowned mystery novel writer with a bold personality who loves her son. However, she has a strained relationship with her husband, Go-Myeon, a well-known and influential former prosecutor general, as she believes he is involved in relationships outside their marriage.
Soon, in episode 1 of Bitter Sweet Hell, a series of mysterious events start to unfold. First, Young-Won encounters a suspicious patient, Lee Se-Na (Yeonwoo). She tells Young-Won that she has an affair with a married person and often feels like dying. The patient then asks Youn-Won if her family members keep secrets from one another.
Later in the episode, Youn-Won’s husband, Jae-Jin, experiences a panic attack after performing surgery. Thus, his colleague, a female doctor, consoles him and takes care of him. She holds Jae-Jin in her arms, showing that the two are quite close. Their interaction reveals that they have known each other for a long time.
Bitter Sweet Hell episode 1 continues to add layers of mystery. Next, Young-Won is startled as she receives a mysterious box from someone. In it, she finds dead birds, a photo of her family, and a card asking whether her family has been well.
By the end of episode 1, Bitter Sweet Hell kills off a central character, Go-Myeon, in a tragic accident. A massive rock strikes him while hiking with his pet dog, and he succumbs to his injuries.
At his funeral, the family mourns his death. To Young-Won’s utter shock, the suspicious patient, Se-Na, has also come to the funeral. She finds her crying in a corner. Thus, Young-Won starts to wonder if her father-in-law had any relationship with Lee Se-Na.
Bitter Sweet Hell episode 1 ends with a major reveal that may significantly impact Young-Won’s life. She discovers a dark truth involving her father-in-law and her father.
Young-won’s teenage years were tough and overshadowed by her father’s death and the events leading to it. He took his own life after being falsely accused of sexual assault. At the time, she refused to believe her father. However, from a hidden audio file owned by her father-in-law, she learns that it was none other than her father-in-law, Go-Myeon, who framed her father in the assault case for his benefit.
Young-Won appears to be in shock and distress after discovering the dark secret. The episode ends with her looking at Sa-Gang dancing in her room right after her husband’s funeral.
Viewers can watch Bitter Sweet Hell every Friday and Saturday on MBC TV.
