This was an incredible weekend airing for Reborn Rich, three episodes of roller coaster ups and downs and some impactful emotional moments from nearly all the main characters, most of which were because of Grandpa. He’s really the Machiavellian heart of this drama but with a still human soul, I’m glad he died before he knew it was his wife who tried to off him and also that he put his final chess move in place before dying with his revised will that cut Do Joon out. That he left a video message telling Do Joon why made me bawl as much as Do Joon did, and it was perfect that Hyun Woo reborn as Do Joon living his second life finally felt completely real with the emotions he built with his new family. He knows Grandpa cares and is proud of him and his last gift to Grandpa was using the 2002 World Cup to revive Soonyang Motors. Seeing Hyun Woo as Do Joon use real life events to his advantage is great and fun but once his time line catches up and he does succeed in taking over Soonyang he still has a mega conglomerate to run and I want to see Do Joon succeed not because of his built in advantage but the down and dirty way, just as Grandpa realized he needed that kick in the butt. Grandpa dying didn’t take the wind out of the sails as we see Do Joon do everything on his own now and the final scene where maybe (dream?) Do Joon and present day Hyun Woo cross paths was EPIC.
Cried along with DoJun during that scene.
The final scene is not DJ crossing paths with HW in the same universe, it’s DJ’s flashback to his former life. I don’t know what the subs are like in English, but DJ’s narration in Korean makes it clear it’s a memory. They just filmed it in such a way to highlight the growing gulf between his two lives.
Every major event we see it happen through DJ’s eyes, at least the major ones in the economic/financial arena in the 1990s thru 2000s, is shown to have had a major repercussion in his previous life as HW, and it explains why HW is the way he is in ep. 1–withdrawn emotionally, committed not to question orders from his superiors, and seemingly unaffected by every slight and humiliation coming his way.
It also highlights how the stakes are so very different for DJ, and the Jin family by extension, and the likes of HW. DJ and his family are fighting over who gets to control the group. HW’s fighting to survive. I’ve seen some people comment that it’s that memory and that life as HW that give DJ an advantage over his family, by sharpening his intelligence and forging his temperament. DJ didn’t get to where he is just because he got “lucky.” Knowing about future events gives him an opportunity, knowing how to use them to his advantage requires insight and judgment. And he’s getting to where he wants to go by deploying those.
At the same time, I wonder what awaits DJ in the end. The higher he goes, the lonelier he is, and it’s ending like ep. 14’s that underscores that feeling. He gets Soon-Yang, then what? Will it avenge his/HW’s death? Will it make up for a life of vicious cycle in which nothing he/HW did lifted his family out of poverty? Hey, maybe it’s not that DJ was smarter than everyone else that made a difference. It’s whether you’re born with a silver spoon or not. (Though in Korea, we call it the “gold spoon.”) It’s like what Sung-Joon said to his grandfather’s right-hand man– you want something different, try a second life. Reborn rich, indeed.
Oops meant to reply to the original post, not yours, sorry!
All three but especially 14 effing blew my mind. Finally SJK is showing what he REALLY can do. And harabeoji’s video alone deserves all the awards. RIP old man. The final two are going to be so insane 🤯
Fantasy future prediction mo fo b/s sjk deserves better plot
Grandpa’s video message to Do Jon had me balling too! He was really a force and this role is by far my favorite character he has played.
But I think 🤔 do jon will lose his touch , he’s too soft and that doesn’t work out .