Heirs/The Inheritors is on a ratings tear this week. While episode 13 did a monster ratings leap past 20% on AGB, episode 14 continued the climb by breaking 22% while leaving its competitors Pretty Boy (6.1%) and Medical Top Team (6.0%) to battle it out for second place. It might even break 25% next week, apparently the ratings surged past 25% nationwide in the final minutes of episode 14. I’ve been watching Heirs since the beginning and the drama was so plodding for so long I actually gave up that it would having any significant ratings increase or get much better. This week’s two episodes proved me wrong on both fronts, though its fair to say the competition is weak and Heirs was always so hyped up it was actually a ratings disappointment until now. This is more up Kim Eun Sook‘s usual alley. Reports started swirling this week that Heirs was contemplating an extension of 2-episodes due to the drama’s ratings surge. The production company has stated that it plans to end Heirs at 20-episodes, and I think that is not only a prudent decision but also in line with what SBS had planned when it prepared its December schedule three weeks ago.
Heir’s follow up drama You From Another Star with Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun was schedule to air on December 25th. That was placed on the calendar three weeks ago so I was already wondering if the one week gap between when Heirs would end and YFAS premiered was to prepare for an extension. But I heard its not and there was never any concrete plans for an extension. Kim Eun Sook plots her dramas well in advance, I can’t see her tacking on 2-episodes other than as pure fanservice. I don’t foresee any ratings swaps among the current three Wed-Thurs dramas for the remainder of Heirs run, but come mid-December Pretty Boy might have a chance to surge when Miss Korea with Lee Seon Kyun and Lee Yeon Hee takes over the MTT time slot while there is a gap on SBS before YFAS airs. I totally zonked out midway through episode 2 of PB so I’m dropping it for now unless I hear it becomes magically delicious soon. Despite the title being Pretty Boy, I’m actually more interested in the wacky obsessed Kim Bo Tong played by IU, a character that comes off as a grown-up and mentally deranged version of Kotoko/Xiang Qin/Hani from the Itazura Na Kiss franchise. IU makes her cute but the character is borderline freaky.
I think PB has its own niche and actually doesn’t compete with Heirs because the two dramas are night-and-day in style and story. Heirs definitely has a character trope for viewers to select which one is their favorite. I enjoyed the two new Heirs episodes this week, so much so that its washed away weeks of disappointment with this drama. I feel like its taken 14 weeks for me to truly love the OTP, as a couple and individually. She’s sudden got passion and a backbone, he’s suddenly learning to listen and communicate rather than order and stew in self-misery. I felt like Tan and Eun Sang were *gasp* fun in these episodes. I also appreciated seeing some improvement in Young Do, be it his behavior or his interactions with Eun Sang after the broadcast room confrontation. Thank god they could interact with underlying menace or fear. She sees he’s just a kid lashing out and he realizes she is going to treat him like a normal person and he acts that way around her. As for PB, it’s a little far-out for me and that’s saying a lot since I cut my teeth on mangas and far-out is pretty much the name of the game.
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Hiya. Have ended up here in my search for some balanced reactions and comments on Heirs. Your thoughts mirror mine exactly - meh for a long time, seeing some hope last thursday, then this week brilliant enough to wash away all my previous disappointment - so thank you for confirming that I'm not losing it or watching an alternative version of Heirs. Cheers!
Auhhhhh I really love episode 13 and 14 as well, the previous 12 episodes just dragged on quite a bit!! I still want a very passionate kiss scene... probably never going to get it but I can dream. I was never a Lee Min Ho fan and never thought he was attractive... but I now find myself thinking 'was Lee Min Ho always this good looking?'. Only watched Heirs becasue Park Shin Hye was in it.... LOVEEEE HER
The first two episodes of Pretty Boy were just BORING!!! And I'm only watching it because of IU, her Kim Bo Tong is excellent!!! IU's acting has improved leaps and bounds compared to IU in You're the Best Lee Soon Shin. Yes her character is very boarder line crazy but thats what I love about it, because everything else is so borning (I'm not interested in JGS's characters birth secret or the whole corporate crap).
I'm enjoying The Heirs even though I can't really say that I love it, I find myself cringe at some parts, maybe many, but there's something that makes The Heirs watchable--pretty watch?)
But what I'm really anticipating is You From Another Star for my love for Jun Ji Hyun. And I'm not really sure that it's a good idea to extend The Heirs.
Or is it? For the sake of pretty watch? For the sake of Kim Woo Bin surprising acting and character portrayal? Well, I just hope whatever it is, it won't include extended violence scene, because that's the one which makes me cringe the most. Even though I've been hating Lee Min Ho since who know when until I watched him turn to this adorable (late) high school student in Heirs, I don't think I want to watch my first drama of him in which he does and surrounded with all these violence stuff.
Indeed; writing an extension connected to the main plot is something you should do in advance, as a plan B. Now writing a fan servicey episode is a piece of cake for KES. She is reactive & works fine under pressure. At that point, the real problem is the tight schedule (liveshoot & exhausted leads already). Maybe she could say "Those who want to be in, raise your hands"?
I would be very surprised if we didn't have anything at all (real ep or fan service or Special with BTS), granted that the ratings stay that high next week: SBS wouldn't lose the occasion. For IHYV I think we had confirmation of the 2 eps extension when ep 13 or 14 was airing, after weeks of hard negociation (yes, no, maybe...). The cast accepted when the writer decided to give her bonus salary for the cast so they could have vacations. If that's what you need to get people onboard, I quite like the idea...
Wow really? Did the cast for IHYV stay on for the extension for the extra bit of cash, and not because they could free up some space in their schedules? Maybe one is affected by the other, but wow, I wonder how much the screenwriter earns...
Been busy with exams, but I can't wait to get on the bandwagon and savour the romance between ES and KT that took forever to come! But thanks for tiding me over with your lovely, speedy recaps :)I'm glad for their leap in ratings; it couldn't come at a more opportune timing as Heirs suddenly picked up their pace and progress and I can't wait for things to come to a climax :)
W knew it ! Never lost faith in it ! Sadly I cant see hyo shin alive when it ends -that body mark on the ground gives me the chills - an di hate thaaaaaaaat !
I already loved Tan and Eun Sang from the beginning but this week made me so happy!! So much cuteness, sweetness, understanding, romance and passion :) And lots of lightness and comic bits....no 'love is the moment' song and Tan finally letting ES face the world herself....
This may seem morbid, but it's appearing to me that Hyo Shin's fate may be headed for another breakdown culminating in a successful suicide which may be the final catalyst for others to gather their courage in taking charge of their 'parental pre-destined' lives. His desperation was heartbreaking to watch.
Even with the marked improvement from heirs, we are still running around in circles with the whole love square with rachel and young do. Those characters need to start loving each other and leave eun sung and tan alone AND then we're talking.
On the bright side, PB is looking more mysterious and probably a pleasant surprise for those that walked in with very very low expectations and a shallow premise. That said, i'm not completely in love with it but Bo-Tong as a character fascinates me to no other. She is like you say, borderline freaky. Her erotic imaginations juxtapose with her cute "innocent" image so i get a huge laugh out of that. JGS is doing alright in his role. Still not feeling him as Ma Te yet. Han Chae Young is deliciously sexy in her role but i could see her mysteriousness getting tiresome if they stretch it out.
I agree that Heirs and PB are totally different. I find PB a light drama giving me lots of laughs especially at IU's funny acting and her perverted thoughts which is very hilarious... Heirs is getting very interesting, sometimes I cannot stand ES's tears, but now the story has improved since she is crying less. Thank you for not crying :-)