LTNS: Episodes 1-2
by Dramaddictally
Esom and Ahn Jae-hong are spicing up our screens with the brand new short-form drama, LTNS — half intercourse comedy, half lengthy, arduous take a look at marriage. Oh, proper, and half crime caper as our leads blackmail dishonest spouses into forking over some money. Our central couple might not be having intercourse with one another, however at the least they’re not out having intercourse with anybody else, proper?
EPISODES 1-2
We begin with our leads’ frisky intercourse life as they get it on within the hallway of a residential constructing. Certain, positive, it’s all enjoyable and video games till they’re married, bored, broke, and paying a mortgage. Minimize to seven years later in a post-covid housing disaster and our leads are struggling long-term indigestion from the life they’ve settled into. (“You went out for espresso once more?! We now have espresso in the home!”) For sure, the intercourse life they used to get pleasure from collectively is now carried out individually in separate rooms.
Our down-and-dirty couple consists of WOO JIN (Esom) and RIM PARK SAMUEL (Ahn Jae-hong), who won’t be inquisitive about one another bodily anymore, however nonetheless make a doozy of a staff. Samuel works as a cabbie, whereas Jin mans the entrance desk of a flowery schmancy resort. Nonetheless, as upscale because it seems, that doesn’t cease adulterers from waltzing in and asking concerning the hourly charges. Uh, no, Jin tells them, you need to pay for the entire night time — after which she notes their names in her little blacklist e-book for later.
The e-book will turn out to be useful as soon as our couple decides to turn out to be small-time crooks, however to get there, we’ve got to take a deep dive into their monetary troubles. Except for the residence they’re paying off with an impossibly excessive rate of interest, there’s additionally Samuel’s taxi, which has simply been submerged in water. The taxi is totaled and he’ll want a brand new one, however the insurance coverage received’t pay because it was his fault (no parking lot, wet night time within the countryside, sinking right into a bottomless puddle — you already know, the standard).
Reasonably than inform his spouse about this misfortune, he lies that all the pieces is beneath management after which makes an attempt to borrow the cash for a brand new automotive from his rich buddy, JUNG-SOO (Lee Hak-joo). Earlier than that may occur, we study just a few issues about Jung-soo and his spouse, SE-YEON (Kim Sae-byuk), when Jin and Samuel cease over to go to them at their ginormous home.
First, Jung-soo has a girlfriend on the facet and his greatest concern is that if the girlfriend is “dishonest on him” with another person. Samuel factors out that Jung-soo can also be dishonest, however Jung-soo counters which you could love as much as two individuals without delay (three is just too many, although, FYI). And anyway, it’s solely betrayal when you get caught. (Okay, Jung-soo, okay.)
Second, Se-yeon suspects one thing is awry along with her husband as a result of they’re not having common intercourse anymore, and to take care of her emotions, she’s taken to day consuming. She’s of the opinion that when you’re not having intercourse in your marriage, you should be having intercourse exterior it. This weighs on Jin since she will’t keep in mind the final time she and Samuel hit the sheets.
When Samuel lastly will get the nerve to ask Jung-soo for the wanted cash, he’s rebuffed. Apparently these two had a startup collectively that failed, however Jung-soo continues to be dwelling the excessive life as a result of his in-laws are wealthy. In the meantime, Samuel (with a level from SNU) is driving a cab. However Jung-soo shouldn’t be a great buddy (or grateful or humble), and so, Samuel leaves empty-handed.
All these components smack collectively the following day when Jin approaches Samuel, wanting to finish their sexless marriage standing, and he rejects her, saying he’s uncomfortable. (Him: “Do you even really feel love for me proper now?” Her: “What’s love received to do with it?”). Jin is fearful that if he’s not sleeping along with her, he should be sleeping with another person. Drained and confused about his predicament, Samuel blurts outs, “Affairs are for individuals who can afford it, like Jung-soo.” Uh boy.
As soon as the main points come out, Jin is about to inform Se-yeon right away. However when she makes the cellphone name, Se-yeon surprises her by asking what she’s going to do concerning the totaled taxi now that insurance coverage received’t cowl it and Jung-soo refused to provide Samuel a mortgage. Jin is cool, appearing like she already knew (as she fumes), however there’s a change of plans on telling Se-yeon about her dishonest husband.
On the similar time, Samuel ideas off Jung-soo that he’s about to be discovered. And so, Jung-soo goes to the resort to beg Jin to not say something. Jin tells him it’s towards her rules so it’s simply too dangerous. There’s nothing he can do. Actually? What if he pays her to maintain quiet? Like, one thing to the tune of 30 million? (Since he is aware of its 20 million to get a brand new automotive.)
After a little bit forwards and backwards, Jin lastly agrees and he transfers her the cash instantly. Afterward, Jung-soo asks Samuel if he deliberate this all alongside. Was this a menace since he wouldn’t mortgage him cash? Samuel denies it, however Jung-soo by no means needs to see him once more anyway. (Good riddance.)
Samuel asks Jin why she would compromise her life philosophy for cash and he or she tells him it’s for the brand new taxi. The trade that follows must be the least difficult dialogue between a married couple I’ve ever heard. He’s like, “How did you discover out?” And he or she’s like, “Why did you retain it a secret?” After which he says he’s sorry and he or she’s over it. Battle resolved (thoughts blown).
Jin buys Samuel a costlier automotive than the one he had after which rides round within the backseat as his passenger. She begins desirous about how they each reside so diligently and work so arduous and but can’t appear to get forward. She whips out her blacklist and says, “Let’s not reside like this anymore.” And with that, they’re on their technique to their blackmailing enterprise, the place they’ll acquire cash in the identical method they received it from Jung-soo, one cheater at a time.
The system works like this: Jin selects targets from the cheaters that e-book rooms on the resort, and Samuel picks them up in his cab, follows them, and takes incriminating images. Their first profitable goal is a person who works at a financial institution and is relationship considered one of his co-workers — whereas his spouse is residence pregnant. As soon as they’ve gathered the proof, they ship him the movies they’ve captured (with some very damning and express audio), together with a message requesting money. Their first heist goes off and not using a hitch, they usually wind up with 7 million of their pockets.
It seems like we’re being arrange for episodic targets with new cheaters every week, however the rather more attention-grabbing factor is what’s starting to occur between our leads. Since they took up this endeavor collectively, we’re attending to know them higher, and I get the sense they’re attending to know one another higher too.
Once they go to spy on the financial institution worker, they’re staked out at his home, and Samuel asks Jin if she’s ever dated a married man. She says no and adjustments the topic. Then, when she tells him he must get extra conclusive proof of dishonest — like for instance, the couple strolling right into a motel collectively — he says that’s not conclusive. He’s gone to a motel with a buddy simply to relaxation. She needs to know who. He says it was a very long time in the past. And so they let it drop.
When Samuel will get drained throughout the stakeout, Jin drives him to a motel. They get a room and lie in mattress with their backs to 1 one other, as they reminisce about once they used to frequent hourly motels collectively. Samuel muses that it’s the primary time they’ve slept beneath the identical blanket in a very long time after which rolls over to hug her. She wonders if he’s attempting to place the strikes on, however he says he simply needed to hug.
However, does she need to have intercourse? No. She simply seems like they need to since they’re married they usually by no means do. He suggests they are saying good issues to one another and see if they will get within the temper. They sit up, look one another within the face, after which attempt to muster some compliments. She retains complimenting his look and he retains complimenting her character. However anyway, they’re each bored and they also hand over and fall asleep.
Again on the stakeout, Samuel says he’s completely happy about how a lot time they’re spending collectively, and I really feel like these sorts of remarks are beginning to pile up. It appears to me that he would possibly need a completely different form of connection along with her than the one she retains attempting to provoke.
The ultimate little bit of candy discuss from him comes once they’re going to choose up the money from the financial institution worker. They’ve instructed the goal to depart it in a public place, which he does, however Samuel is scared to demise that he’ll be nabbed by the cops when he walks over to retrieve it. He speaks to Jin on the cellphone simply beforehand and tells her that if he will get caught, he did this alone. Additionally, at residence, there’s a e-book on the highest shelf the place he’s left a nest egg. She doesn’t actually hear him, however I discover his character an increasing number of endearing.
Effectively, I’m intrigued. I feel the story is on shaky legs however the leads are epic and collectively they’re dynamite. They’re comedic, for positive, however it’s not laugh-out-loud humorous — it’s extra the vibe they assemble collectively that’s enjoyable, relaxed, and making me surprise what is going to occur subsequent. I’ve seen them collectively earlier than (within the film Microhabitat — which shares a director with this drama) and have been trying ahead to their reunion.
The intercourse is lewd, the morals are questionable, and the facet characters are largely throw away, however the drama has me very invested within the central relationship. How will breaking down different individuals’s marriages assist them construct up their very own? What secrets and techniques might be divulged about their pasts whereas they’re digging up everybody else’s? There’s fodder right here for a sensible, candy rekindled romance on the heart of the smut. Or, on the very least, we’ll get to see two characters that make a great staff, as they expose jerks, crack jokes, and trip round trying cool with sun shades at night time.
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